Okaeri
by Blackberry
Summary: After the end of their quest, Inuyasha and Kagome adjust to life in modern Tokyo. But there are still secrets in the past, and dangers in the present. And finding a place to call home may be the most difficult thing of all... A/R. Rated for violence.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Inuyasha and associated characters are the property of Rumiko Takahashi. Rated for language.

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**Chapter 1**

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Kagome floated up to consciousness from comfortable sleep, awakened in the darkness before dawn by the sound of Kaede moving about in preparation for the day. For a brief moment she was disoriented, until she remembered with a deep sense of relief exactly why they were here. Shippou still slept, a warm ball curled tightly at her side. She opened her eyes slowly, unwilling to move just yet; she still felt tired from the journey back. They had gotten in quite late last night, pushing on well after dark. Sango and Miroku had taken painful injuries in their final battle with Naraku nearly a week ago, and Kagome had been anxious to get them into Kaede's care, not trusting the efficacy of what she had done for them. They had the endurance of Inuyasha and Kirara to thank for being able to sleep here and not in another rough camp.

The old miko was heating water now, whether for poultices or for tea Kagome couldn't say. The wounded pair were lying together on the other side of the room, Kirara a tiny ball curled at their feet. They were sleeping the sleep of the exhausted; Kagome hoped that Kaede would leave them so for a little while longer. Miroku was evidently so tired that he didn't have a hand on Sango as they both slept, something that had been a constant every night since the battle. Kagome was amused that Sango no longer objected to it.

Kaede had noticed that her eyes were open, and brought her a cup of tea. Kagome struggled up out of the blankets to gratefully accept it, and sat for a moment, holding its warmth in her hands, before she thought to blow to cool it enough to drink. Shippou finally stirred at her side.

"Mmph …Kagome, are you going home today?" the kit yawned, rubbing his eyes.

"Yes, Shippou-chan. I've got a lot of things to take care of, and I also want to tell my family that we're done with Naraku and the Shikon no Tama."

He looked up at her with some trepidation. "But you're coming back, right?"

Setting her cup down, she reached for the kitsune kit and gave him a reassuring hug. "Of course, Shippou. I might not come back as often, but I'm sure I'll be here a lot. I would miss you all, you know."

Shippou said nothing, but clung to her for a moment in return before pushing away. He then hopped up and wandered over to see if Kaede had any breakfast ready. Kagome picked up her cup again and drank her tea down, listening idly to his piping voice and the old woman's gravelly response, then surveyed the spread of her belongings across the room. With a grimace she noted the pile of schoolbooks that lay in one corner, untouched since she put them there nearly three weeks ago. _Ugh, I have to get home. I've really fallen behind in studying, and I'm dead if I'm not prepared for final exams._ She got up to begin packing.

Despite their care to be quiet, the movement of Kagome, Kaede and Shippou roused Sango; she sat up, levering herself on her arms with a wince. "Kagome-chan? Are you leaving?"

Kagome put her bag down and moved to Sango's side. Miroku was still sleeping heavily, so she endeavored to keep her voice low. "Yes, I'm going back. You and Miroku-sama should be alright now, with Kaede." Sango reached for her and gave her a wordless hug, conveying thanks for the care she had given them since the battle; carefully she returned the embrace, mindful of the taijiya's cracked ribs. After a moment, Kagome drew back to look at her friend from arm's length. "Sango-chan, please rest and get better. I'll be gone a few days, and then I'll come back to check on you," she whispered.

Sango nodded, smiling slightly. She looked tired and wan; a greenish bruise still darkened her forehead, but it was another pain that left its shadow on her face. "Please don't feel you need to hurry back, Kagome-chan. Go home to your family, and spend time with them."

Kagome ducked her head and nodded. _Because I have a family to go home to._

"We'll be here for a long time recovering anyway. We still have to decide what we're going to do," Sango continued, glancing down at Miroku.

"You mean whether to stay here, or go to live with Mushin-sama?" Miroku had talked about settling at his foster-father's temple, now that the old man was getting on in years and could use someone young (and sober) to keep the buildings in good repair. "That's some distance away, Sango-chan," she said doubtfully. _And it would be hard to visit you very often…_

She smiled gently down at her fiancé before looking back up at Kagome. "I know," she said, seemingly aware of Kagome's unvoiced concern. She whispered conspiratorially, "But I think I would rather stay here. I could still see you often." Sango gave her a knowing grin. "And where you are, can Inuyasha be far behind?"

"Sango-chan…" Kagome, trailed off, embarrassed, and Sango laughed softly.

"Go on, Kagome-chan. We'll see you later." This time Kagome reached for Sango, and they embraced again, before Kagome reluctantly disengaged. She needed to get going.

The morning sky was tinged with the pink and gold of dawn by the time Kagome was ready to leave; it was late enough that many of the villagers were in the fields already. Kagome shouldered her heavy backpack and tried to think if she was forgetting anything; she tossed back the last of her second cup of tea and set the clay vessel down by the hearth. Sango had gone back to sleep, and Shippou had already wandered outside. Kaede caught her peering around the hut indecisively and took hold of her firmly.

"You have everything. Now go home and get some rest, Kagome. You all need it, and deserve it after what you've accomplished." The old woman smiled kindly as she walked the girl to the doorway of her hut. "You did a wonderful job of taking care of them, by the way. I doubt my sister could have done much better." Kaede gave her a serious look as they stopped by the door. "I'm very proud of you, you know."

Kagome swallowed as she returned the gaze. "Thank you, Kaede-bachan. We did our best." She looked down for a moment, and then looked back into the old miko's face. "I'll be back when I get things settled, and I…hope I can talk with you about…the things I know about now." She bit her lip. "I don't know what to do."

Kaede nodded. "I understand. I'm sure you have many questions. I will answer what I can." She smiled, a subtle joy and pride lighting her one eye as she gazed at her. "But Kagome, I think you will find that you will know what to do when circumstances call upon you. You generally have all along." With that she gently turned the girl to the door. "Now go home, and take care of _yourself_ for a change."

"Believe me, Kaede-bachan, the first thing I'll do when I get home is to take a hot bath! Please take care of Miroku and Sango, and yourself, and I'll see you soon." Kagome pushed aside the reed mat covering the doorway and stepped outside. Kaede waved a last time from the door before turning back to her tasks.

Upon her emergence from the hut, Inuyasha hopped down from the roof to stand beside her. Kagome noted his quick, assessing glance—he'd been doing that the whole way back. She pointedly gazed back at him, but he just as quickly looked away.

"You going home?" he asked, noncommittally.

"Yeah. For a little while, anyway."

"Keh." He offered no other comment, but took her backpack from her to neatly sling it over his shoulder.

Their feet occasionally crunched on patches of frosty grass in low spots, a remnant of winter though spring was coming. Inuyasha walked beside her silently, while Shippou ranged about near them, chasing a bug here, examining something in the dirt there. Kagome focused her attention on her surroundings, breathing in the scent of the greening woods around them. One of the great things about being in the feudal age was how clean the air was, at least away from villages. It smelled good now, and it would smell even better once everything began blooming.

Their quest was over. She had thought, in the last few months, that if they won— if everything worked out the way it should, if there was justice in the world— they would all have the chance to be happy and everything would be great. She bit her lip as she thought of the lingering sadness in Sango's eyes. _Well, everything's not so great. It's good in at least one way— no more Shikon no Tama. No shards to collect, no more monsters attracted by them. _She regarded Inuyasha's stiff back uncertainly as he walked slightly ahead of her now, his ears turning as he caught the sounds of birds and insects coming from the woods. Walking ahead to avoid conversation? _Kikyou's gone now, so Inuyasha doesn't have to worry about her anymore, but… _She really wasn't sure what he thought, or felt. He had been tight-lipped, his face impassive for much of the journey back here, though he had stayed close to her. _I'm not going to push him. He's already said he'd take me back through the well whenever I want. I know he wants to see me, and he knows how I feel about him. At least I think he does._

They arrived at the well, and turning to Shippou first, Kagome leaned down and ruffled his hair playfully. He had grown a bit in the last three years since he'd joined them, not much, but enough to be too heavy for her to pick up anymore; he had yet to reach the stature of the typical nine-year-old he acted like. Right now, he leaned back with an affronted air, shaking his bangs back in place. She laughed and straightened. "Be good while I'm gone, Shippou-chan."

"As long as you're back soon," he sniffed, crossing his arms. "I can't guarantee that I'll be good if you take too long."

_I think a certain hanyou is rubbing off on him. Or maybe Miroku is teaching him the art of negotiation…_

"I can guarantee you'll have lumps on your head if you act up, brat," growled the hanyou in question. Shippou stuck his tongue out at Inuyasha.

"Shippou, behave. I'll be back soon, I promise." She smiled at him, then glanced at the weathered boards of the old well; did something feel different? A prickle ran down her spine, and she stared hard at it, but it was outwardly the same as ever. _Must be my imagination._ She hesitated a moment, looking down into the shaft, then climbed on the lip of the well where Inuyasha was already perched. "You're coming with me?" she asked, a little surprised. She didn't need his assistance to get home, just back here, not that she would turn down his company.

"You stuffed this bag with so much crap, I'm surprised you can carry it at all," he said gruffly. "I'll bring it home for you."

She smiled at him, pleased. "Thank you, Inuyasha." He looked away, flushing slightly, before looking back and irritably mumbling something about getting on with it. Taking his arm and a deep breath, she said "I'm ready." With her other arm she waved to Shippou, who waved back wistfully, and the two of them jumped into the well.

Almost immediately she felt something was wrong. She felt the sinking sensation and saw the bubbles of light as usual, but Inuyasha had disappeared right out of her grasp—she was alone. Where was he?

"INUYASHA!" Her scream sounded muffled and indistinct; she screamed his name again, and this time it echoed in the familiar shaft of the well as she landed on the dirt floor. She was definitely in her own time, as testified by the roof overhead and the wooden ladder. Where had he gone? The backpack rested on the floor next to her, but there was no sign of the hanyou. She climbed up the ladder a short distance and jumped down, hoping to activate the time slip, but the well seemed completely quiescent. _This can't be happening! After all we've been through together, I have to see you!_ "INUYASHA!" She began to dig vainly at the floor of the well, casting about with her senses for any trace of his youki. It seemed that she could feel it faintly. Closing her eyes, she tried to find him, to bring him to her. Tears ran down her face, but she refused to let her throat close. She had to keep calling him. He had to come to her. A distant memory floated to the surface of her mind; power awoke and quested forth, seeking…


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Inuyasha and associated characters are the property of Rumiko Takahashi.

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**Chapter 2**

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Inuyasha felt Kagome vanish from his hands and panicked. He saw the lights of the transition briefly, but they faded when Kagome did and he landed on the bottom of the shaft in his own time, the familiar scents of the meadow and Shippou filtering down. "Dammit! KAGOME!" he roared. _Where the hell was she?_ He could hear the alarmed shriek of the child above, but had no time to answer him. Jumping up near the top of the well, he let himself drop down, but the well didn't activate. "NO! You're going to let me through! I'm not fucking giving her up now! KAGOME!" He could still smell her on the other side, the way he usually could, but was it fading. He stopped for a moment and concentrated his senses. He could smell the salt of her tears, and did he actually hear her voice, screaming his name? He jumped up again, clinging to the side of the shaft, and concentrated with all his being on finding her. He let himself drop, willing the well to work this time, and sought her with nose and ears, hands outstretched to grab hold of her and never let her go. Fuck if the well was going to stop him.

This time it worked. He felt himself falling— _finally_— into the formless space that he had passed through without effort countless times before, but it wasn't so easy now. There was resistance, a pulling back to where he had come from. He pushed himself forward relentlessly, feeling the force of his youki reacting with whatever power it was that activated the time slip, and perhaps with Kagome's power as well—something burned like fire. The first time he had come after Kagome through the well, he had simply followed her scent to her world, but this time he sensed he was forcing a new pathway. Close, so close—he could hear her calling and smell her clearly, and then he was _there_, with her, fingers brushing her shoulders and then grabbing and gripping her tightly to him.

She started with surprise and then wound her arms around his neck, chokingly tight, as she sobbed his name. He was there with her, in her time. He closed his eyes and held her, heart pounding. "Kagome. I'm here. I'm here with you." He whispered her name a few more times, hoping to calm her and stop those tears. Then she was kissing him, the taste of her lips salty, and he was lost in the sensation and wonder of it for a moment as he responded, kissing her back. She drew back suddenly, flushed and gasping, to gaze into his eyes. They stared at each other, while he wondered wildly what he should say or do; thankfully, Kagome broke the silence first.

"Inuyasha. I thought I had lost you." She trembled slightly in his arms; he shuddered to think that he had nearly lost her. He reached up and gently wiped the tears from her face with his thumb, careful with his claws. He could drown in the wide-eyed, vulnerable look she was giving him, full of emotion that he couldn't name, but was nearly squeezing the breath from his lungs. She sniffled delicately. "What happened? Did the well work for you? Can you still go back?" She looked up at the roof of the well house; he followed her glance. They were definitely in her time.

He couldn't smell anything now but the musty well house, the nasty air of her time, and them. The scents of the meadow in the Sengoku Jidai, Shippou, the fading traces of their friends—they were gone, and any residual magic aura from the well was gone too. Slowly he shook his head. "It was all I could do to come through. I don't think I can go back." He looked at her carefully to gauge her reaction. "You're stuck with me."

She drew her arms around him again, this time in a gentle embrace, and breathed in his ear, "That's all I ever wanted, Inuyasha."

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The well was truly and inalterably shut. At Kagome's insistence, they had tried to activate the well one more time. Inuyasha hadn't wanted to chance being separated again, but Kagome felt that they couldn't abandon their friends so easily, and he had acquiesced, unwilling to surrender. They had climbed up to the lip and jumped together—Inuyasha had gripped her around the waist and held her to him so tightly that she squeaked, but he noticed that she had squeezed her fists in a deathgrip on his haori as well. It came to nothing, though, as they landed together at the bottom of the shaft without any reaction from the well. They exchanged glances; Kagome bit her lip, but said nothing—her anguished expression spoke volumes. He gritted his teeth, but could find nothing to say. Tacitly admitting defeat, he crouched down so she could get on his back, and he took them both up and out of the well.

The weather on this side was crisp and cold, the sky clear and blue. They crossed the courtyard, headed for the house. Inuyasha was only now beginning to understand the enormity of what had just happened—_there was no going back._ He felt oppressed by the brilliant morning sun pouring down, heartlessly cheerful. It seemed cruel, while the two of them were cut off from their friends, and exiled from the world he had known, the one that made sense. And Kagome— he felt helpless in the face of her misery, her shoulders slumped, her tears barely contained. Then she turned to look at him when they reached her house, bravely attempting an encouraging smile despite her own heartache. The morning sunlight gilded her hair and her features seemed to glow, heart-stoppingly beautiful, and he felt he could forgive the sun goddess this time.

Her mother, grandfather and brother were all in the kitchen, eating breakfast, and greeted them with surprise and pleasure. Inuyasha perched on a chair with the bowl of rice her mother offered him, trying to suppress his agitation, his head still whirling in confusion. This was not his world; what would he do here? He pushed the unfamiliar anxiety down and away, and forced himself to pay attention to Kagome, who was gathering herself to tell them what had happened in response to their questions. She took a deep breath, and related a sketchy version of the events of the last few weeks—their pursuit of Naraku, the skirmishes, the final battle, finishing with the news that the well was now closed. There was silence for a moment. A slow, relieved smile dawned on Mama's lips.

"Kagome, you've done it. You've all done it. And you're home safe," she said.

Jii-chan cackled triumphantly. "I knew you could do it! A Higurashi could do no less!"

"Inu no niichan, does that mean you'll be here all the time from now on?" Souta was staring at him with a hopeful expression.

Inuyasha didn't look up from his bowl. "Looks that way, kid."

"This is going to be awesome! Wait till I show you the new games I got!" _Huh? Oh, those 'video' things. _The boy jumped up and looked like he wanted to demonstrate _right now_, but his mother gently forestalled him.

"Souta, you have to go or you'll be late for school."

Groaning, Souta regretfully picked up his bookbag to head out, after assuring Inuyasha that they could play when he got home. Inuyasha had listened with half an ear and appeared to concentrate on his food until the boy left, though he was really paying attention to the adults' reactions.

"How are you feeling, Kagome?" Mama asked, concerned, looking at the girl's worn and threadbare school uniform. Kagome herself looked drawn and weary. She had refused any breakfast, and sat with her arms resting on the table.

"I'm tired and I want a bath," she sighed. She put her head down for a moment, then raised it to look at them. "On top of everything else, I've got to worry about finals, but I think I'm going to rest for a little bit before plunging back in."

"By all means, dear," her mother replied. "Take as much time as you want."

Kagome pushed herself to her feet and headed for the bath. With Kagome gone, Inuyasha was left sitting in silence at the table with Mama and Jii-chan. He fidgeted with the empty bowl for a moment before setting it down. He contemplated bolting. _No, better get it over with._ He looked up to find them both regarding him, Mama thoughtfully, Jii-chan speculatively, one hand playing with the tip of his beard.

"Inuyasha," Mama began, looking at him gravely. "Is it true that you cannot go back to your own time? You are here on this side of the well permanently?" The old man stared at him intently.

_Shit, here it comes,_ he thought glumly. _They're going to tell me to shove off, now that I'm no longer useful. Nobody ever wants a hanyou hanging around._

Well, tough shit. He was here now. Half-defiantly, he said, "Yeah, that's right. I'm on this side of the well for good." Somehow he couldn't bring himself to meet their eyes, though; he found himself averting his gaze to the view outside the window, and tried to harden his heart for the inevitable rejection. He wondered why the thought of these particular people telling him to go made his throat feel so tight. Angry with himself, he shook his head slightly. _Maybe there's a place near here I can stay and be unnoticed. There are no forests nearby that I can tell, nothing but this little grove, but I have to be able to see Kagome…_

Mama's voice cut through the gloomy thoughts like the sun through clouds, blinding him. "Well then, we'll have to think of where you're going to sleep. We don't have a guest room; we can put down a futon for you in the living room at night, until I can think of something better. Would that be all right, dear?" Inuyasha jerked his head around to stare at her in surprise; she was looking at him a little anxiously.

"You want me to stay here?" he blurted.

"Of course! Where else would you stay?" Suddenly she looked dismayed. "Unless you do have somewhere else? I apologize, Inuyasha, but I had assumed that you didn't have other friends or relatives in this time to stay with." He shook his head dumbly, still staring at her, and she smiled at him.

"We would be pleased to have you live with us, Inuyasha. Wouldn't we, Jii-chan?"

Next to her, the old man had been looking uncomfortable. But at her question he nodded stiffly. "Yes, the demon can stay. What's one more mouth to feed?"

Inuyasha drew himself up angrily. "You don't have to worry about that, Jijii. I can take care of myself."

"And you took good care of Kagome, too." Mama glared at Jii-chan, who looked away. "Don't worry about that, Inuyasha. We live very well off the income from the shrine. One more person is no problem. Would you like some eggs or sausage?"

Inuyasha pointedly refused, with a suspicious glance at the old man. Jii-chan harrumphed and got up, declaiming that he had _work_ to do, and went out to the shrine.

His eyes followed the old man out, but he was still in a daze, thinking about what Mama had said. _She **wants** me to live here. With them._ He turned back to her at the sound of more tea being poured into his cup, and he found her regarding him kindly. She set the teapot down and looked into his eyes, suddenly serious.

"Inuyasha, thank you for protecting Kagome all this time. We owe you our gratitude." She stepped back, and to his amazement, gave him a deep and respectful bow. She straightened, and said in a voice that shook only slightly, "I know that she is here and safe because you were with her. Never doubt that you have a place here for as long as you want it." She held his gaze for an instant, and then with a shaky smile she looked away, and began gathering the breakfast dishes. Inuyasha picked up his tea and drank it, ignoring the tightness in his throat, stunned and speechless.

He went to Kagome's room shortly afterwards, to think and compose himself. Kagome took a long time in the bath; when he heard her coming up the stairs, he quickly vacated the room via the window, knowing she would want to dress. He came back some time after it had gotten quiet, to find her sleeping heavily, her rotund cat curled up against her. He sat on the tatami and just watched her sleep for a while. The creature opened one baleful yellow eye to stare at him, but it didn't stir, and when he failed to do anything interesting the eye closed. He leaned his back against the bed and closed his own eyes, arranging Tessaiga comfortably in the crook of his arm. He could rest here, wreathed in her scent, in the quiet of this place.

Some time later, Inuyasha woke from his doze at the feel of Kagome's fingers lightly running through some strands of his hair. He turned to face her; she was lying on her side facing him, and smiled a little apologetically when he turned around. "Sorry," she said in a low voice. "I just wanted…to be sure you were really there, and not a dream." Her hand was still extended from her, lying on the bedcover where she had let go of his hair. He reached over and gently touched the back of her hand.

"There, real enough for you? Just what is it about my hair that you're always yanking on it?" He smiled a little to make it plain he was kidding, and she grinned in answer. At that moment he heard steps starting up the stairs; he stood, stretching a little, and sat on the windowsill. He was staring out of it casually and Kagome had just sat up when her mother knocked at the half-open door and stuck her head in to announce lunch.

After they ate, Kagome sat at her desk and, incredibly, began studying. Apparently the world could end but she still had to study… He sat at the windowsill for a while, and then, bored, went off to sit in one of the trees near the house to observe the activity around the shrine. The rest of the day passed slowly and peacefully. He had never really paid much attention to what went on around the shrine, at least in this time; there were a lot of people coming and going, much more so than in his world, when Kaede had charge of it, or even before that, when Kikyou had been priestess here. Her grandfather looked like he kept pretty busy, though he mostly stayed in and around the shrine office. It didn't appear that he was conducting services in the main hall today. Maybe he only did so once a week; he was pretty old for a human, after all.

By the end of the day, Inuyasha had moved to the roof of the house, the better to hear the goings-on within. He had heard Souta ask for him when the kid got home from school, but he had wanted to stay up here and assimilate the events of today, and not be distracted for a while. He scratched his belly thoughtfully as he lay in a comfortable sprawl and stared out at the city lights coming on; it was dusk, but still so unnaturally bright. He wished he could have the familiar darkness again, and the light of the stars.

He snorted, annoyed with himself. What the hell was wrong with him? He was still with Kagome. Damned if he knew what he was going to do here, but still, he had managed to stay with her. He hadn't exactly made any plans back in the Sengoku Jidai, anyway, had he? He had never spent much time thinking about what would happen after they killed that bastard Naraku; he had been at a bit of a loss even before the well closed, actually. There were no more Shikon shards to find, no more Naraku to kill, and he no longer had Kikyou to worry over and feel responsible for. His hands clenched for a moment. Kikyou had had her own plans, not the same as theirs. She had used them all to her own ends, used her will to force events to the conclusion _she_ had deemed necessary and right.

Kikyou…he didn't understand what she had become before the end; she had come back as a power, a force barely contained in the world by tremendous will. Clearly not the person she had been when alive, or even the vengeful, furious revenant she had been when first revived. He swallowed thickly, rigidly suppressing his grief and guilt. He did feel guilty and angry with himself for having put Kagome through so much uncertainty, and pain, over his unfinished business with her previous incarnation, since Kikyou apparently hadn't thought they had any business left to bother with. _Kagome might know why, after what Kikyou did to her,_ he thought uneasily. He doubted he would ever get up the courage to ask her about it. It wasn't worth the pain it would give them both.

Kagome. He was still with Kagome, that was the most important thing to him. He pushed his dark thoughts aside, and he allowed himself a small smile at the memory of how she'd kissed him this morning—_kissed him!_—and what she'd said. What did that mean, and what would happen now? Although he'd not made any plans, somehow any future he'd half-imagined had always had Kagome in it. But what form would his life here take, with her?

In a way, it seemed that he had come full circle to where he had been when he met Kikyou. He had been alone, with no purpose calling him, but when he had seen her, he was drawn to her as if caught by a spell, one he hadn't been able to break. He had loved her when he had hardly even known what love was. And here he was again, alone but for Kagome, but willing to do whatever it took to stay with her. Because he loved her.

Her family's reaction to his permanent presence was beyond reassuring, though in his experience it was best to not be complacent with humans. Attitudes could change at a moment's notice if you were a stranger, which he was pretty much anywhere.

They said that he could live here. Could he really…have a place? And, he hardly dared to even think it to himself, would Kagome accept him as something more than her friend? Would her family? He had let down his guard once before, with Kikyou. But Kikyou, when alive, had conditions only under which she would consider a life with him. Kagome had never asked him to change, to be anything other than what he was, only to be with him.

His thoughts were interrupted by the scent of Kagome herself down below. "Inuyasha?" he heard her call softly. He leaned out over the edge of the roof to peer down at her. "Dinner," she said. "Mama's made oden. Hurry up or I'll eat yours." She grinned rather wolfishly at him and whisked back into the house. He swung down hastily to join her in the kitchen.

Mama didn't make oden very often, but then tonight must be a special occasion. They were celebrating the successful outcome of three years of danger and hardship. Kagome's sketchy rendition of the end of their quest from this morning was brought up again now by her curious family. He let her tell the story without interjection or interruption. She had always edited what she told her family to make it sound less dangerous, but Inuyasha could pick up from her tone that she did not want to discuss the consequences of Kikyou's… passing. Souta kept prodding for details, and Kagome clearly didn't want to recount them again; the brat finally subsided, wide-eyed, after Inuyasha growled his irritation.

The hanyou sat next to Kagome at the table and even managed to get seconds, beating her attempt to hog what was left of the oden. That girl could eat pretty fast. Inuyasha felt comfortably full, and sat back, idly observing the family dynamics: Kagome, having an animated discussion with her mother; Souta, trying to inject comments into their conversation; and Jii-chan, who was being…oddly quiet. The old man was definitely acting suspicious; every time Inuyasha glanced at him he caught the geezer giving him these _looks_…speculative looks. Like he was looking over a horse for sale. Inuyasha decided to ignore it for now, since Jii-chan hadn't actually _said_ anything. Souta had finally caught her attention by asking Kagome if she had been studying for "finals" while in the other world, when Mama interrupted.

"Oh! I'm sorry I didn't give you this right away, dear, but it slipped my mind with your other news." She got up for a moment and returned with an envelope, which she handed to Kagome. Peering at the return address, Kagome paled.

"It's from the national college examination board," she explained to Inuyasha. Not that he knew what the hell _that_ was. Nervously fumbling a bit, she tore it open and drew out the letter inside. "Well, let's see how bad I did…" She scanned it, and froze. "I passed," she whispered. "Mama, I passed!" She jumped up and grabbed her mother in an excited hug, laughing. Mama laughed with her, pleased.

She let go of her mother to look at the letter again. "Yes! Even Naraku couldn't stop me from going to college!" She ignored Inuyasha's sudden frown, and sighed happily, her eyes sparkling.

"I'm so happy for you, dear!" Mama stroked her hair proudly. "Well, what's next? I know you took entrance exams for at least a couple of universities…" Kagome started in surprise at that last question.

"I almost forgot, with everything else going on. Yes, I took the exams for two, and I hope I get in to at least one of them. Otherwise I'll be stuck as a ronin until next year." She sighed. "Anyway, I have to finish high school before anything else."

Inuyasha turned to Mama, his eyebrows raised in disbelief.

"Wait, she's got _more_ school?"

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He went back to the roof after Kagome had gone back upstairs to study; he considered going for a run to clear his mind, since his thoughts were already running in circles. As he scanned the glaring lights of the horizon, looking for a direction to go in, he contrasted his sense of being hopelessly adrift with Kagome's certainty. School, school and more school, she had a constant in her life, a purpose. It seemed she had her future mapped out. _And are you in it? _a small voice whispered in the back of his mind.

Purpose. What had he ever had? An uncertain existence, that's what; orphaned at an early age, bare survival for years. He'd hoped he had found his destiny when he'd heard of the Shikon no Tama; a chance to be powerful, to no longer be scorned as a hanyou, a chance to carve out a territory and a place for himself. What he'd found instead was an unexpected hope for another life entirely, with Kikyou. He would have accepted living as a human if he had been able to share that life with someone else; Kikyou had seemed to offer that. That life had turned out to be nothing but a daydream, a wisp of smoke in the wind, easily destroyed by Naraku and the habits of distrust common to him and to the guardian of the Shikon no Tama. They'd betrayed each other and died.

Then Kagome had brought him back, and gave him new purpose; at first to get the jewel from her, and then to search for the shards after she shattered it. And then things had gotten complicated. He flinched from the thought of a life without Kagome. With a shudder he jumped from the roof and shot off, not caring where he went. He just had to get moving.

He could run, feel the breath rush in his lungs, feel his muscles bunch and flex as he leaped from building to building in this strange world. He could go wherever he wanted, he was free. However, his thoughts and feelings could not be outrun. He had Kagome, and he felt a fierce joy at that, but his other friends' faces rose before him. Miroku and Sango and Kaede, his friends and comrades, and that meant so much, to him that had always been alone. With the shock of knowing he could never go back, he was still registering that it also meant he would never see them again. It seemed impossible that they were lost, that they had been dead for centuries, if what Kagome said about the time difference was true. He had seen and smelled them all this morning. And now they were gone, just like that. This was almost like waking up after Kikyou shot him--finding out that fifty years had passed in the blink of an eye, and that she was long dead and gone, ashes. Dust.

He flicked a stray hair out of his eyes as he paused at a wide intersection, and considered changing direction. It was possible that Kirara, Myouga, and Shippou were still around, though he hadn't any idea where to look for them. Shippou. Despite the rough front he put up around the brat, he really cared for him and worried about his welfare. He'd taken some satisfaction in saving the orphaned kit from the life he himself had faced as a child; Shippou had had Kagome to look after and coddle him and Inuyasha to protect him. He'd started to teach the eager kit how to scent and track, with an eye towards teaching him to hunt larger prey when he got bigger, and made sure to curb his excesses—when Kagome let him. Damned spoiled-rotten brat. He hoped Miroku and Sango would continue to look after him…had looked after him. He shook his head. This time travel thing suddenly seemed more difficult to comprehend; he could no longer think of his friends in the _now_, and had to deal with a few centuries of distance. While he thought that his friends would do their best to help and guide the kid, Shippou was still youkai, and he doubted they would be able to rein him in as he got older. Shippou was half-wild as it was; Inuyasha grimaced thinking of the kind of tricks, pranks and trouble the brat would get into, in a human village, without a restraint on his kitsune nature. Hopefully he'd survived the centuries, and would turn up somewhere.

He let out a breath softly, staring at the cars crawling on the street below. He wondered if there was a way to find out what had happened to their friends after they were cut off, if only to _know_, and not be uncertain forever; if there was something recorded in one of Kagome's books, for instance. There seemed to be all sorts of weird details in her history books, though he would have thought that she'd have said something if she came across a mention of them in her text. And if there were any clues to be had, he could look for the kitsune. If only Myouga was still around, or maybe that old geezer Toutousai, he could ask them, but he faced the same problem with them as with Shippou. Though maybe Toutousai hadn't moved from his last location…

He shook his head. He didn't want to think about this any more, dammit. Keep running. Get a look around, maybe. e He hadn't done much reconnaissance previously; whenever in Kagome's world, he'd not been interested much in exploring—it stank and was noisy here, and he'd usually concentrated on dragging Kagome back as soon as possible to the real world. He was stuck in this weird place now, though; he reluctantly decided that, if he was here to stay, then he'd better become familiar with it. It was hard to overlay his memory of the lands around the village over these streets teeming with humans, their cars, their buildings, but the shrine was in the same place. He looked over his shoulder at it in the distance; the forested hill rose darkly over the surrounding area, lit in relatively few spots, the shrine among them, on its shadowy flanks.

At least here he didn't think he needed to worry much about demons attacking. There really didn't seem to be _any_. Roads and buildings flowed for miles in every direction, covering the places where there used to be forests, plains, swamps, any sort of place that youkai could live. There were exceptions to the dearth of youkai, though. He knew there were kitsune and tanuki in numbers in this city, perhaps because it was easy for those two tribes to disguise themselves and blend in; he'd scented them on the wind, none close nearby. They would be unlikely to present a threat to Kagome or her family. It would be best to make sure, though, that they were the_ only_ demons in the area.

After casting about a bit, he decided to head west; it was as good a direction as any, and he hadn't traveled that way often. Neither Kagome's old school nor the new one lay that way. He moved off, swiftly and silently, leaping from one apartment block roof to another, and then running along the ridgepoles of low houses. He was able to go very fast indeed, and the feel of the wind in his hair, the blood rushing through his veins, was as exhilarating as always. His senses were wide open for the slightest hint of any youkai. He hadn't gone very far, carefully noting landmarks and places of interest, when he came across the scent of a concentration of kitsune, somewhere up ahead of him. He slowed and cautiously followed his nose, and finally spotted his quarry. He perched on the rooftop of a building across the street, conveniently downwind from it.

It was a shrine to Inari. _Of course, there's always kitsune around those._ Inuyasha recalled that there had been a small shrine here hundreds of years ago, but this was a large complex. He could see the statues of foxes that sometimes marked the entrance to shrines to the rice god, as they were supposed to be Inari's servants and messengers. The figures stood on both sides of the entrance steps, and what appeared to be smaller foxes—fox kits?—were frozen in an attitude of play at their feet. However, two of the figures weren't stone; they smelled like live kitsune, an adult male and female. He tested the air carefully; he didn't detect any kitsune here that matched Shippou's scent. For a moment Inuyasha contemplated contact, maybe to ask about Shippou or to gather some gossip about the state of youkai society hereabouts, such as it was. But then he dismissed the thought, for now. He had plenty of time and more ground to cover. He could come back when he was more settled in, and find out how many more kitsune lived here; definitely more than just these two. He changed direction again, circumspectly going around the shrine to the north, and continued on, feeling assured that he wouldn't be noticed.

He decided that the large cemetery with an enormous number of ghosts flitting around in it, that even _he_ could sense, would be the northern boundary of his range. He sure as hell didn't want that many ghosts in his territory; let some other poor bastard have them. He did notice a human kid sitting on a flat-topped hill within the cemetery bounds. He idly hoped for the kid's sake that he didn't realize how haunted his hangout was. He turned and started his circular way back. He didn't come across any more solid evidence of other demons, though there were some interesting scents on the wind—a hint of feline youkai? Not Kirara, though. It would figure, cats would probably be able to adapt to this environment. And then, the faintest trace of something else— something powerful. He stopped and breathed deep, trying to catch the scent again, but maddeningly, it was gone. _Damn._ Well, with his luck it would be his fucking brother. He'd try again tomorrow night; if there was a taiyoukai about, he wanted to find it, preferably before it found _him._ Or where he lived.

It was quite late when he made it back to the Higurashi shrine; seeing that Kagome's light was still on, he swung down to her window. She was sitting at her desk, her head down on her crossed arms, sleeping. Her books were open under her arms. Looking at her hunched in that ridiculous position, his face softened for a moment. He shook her shoulder gently. "Kagome."

The girl lifted her head muzzily. "Wha? Oh, Inuyasha…" She rubbed her eyes and looked down at the topmost book, its pages creased from being slept on.

"You're in no condition to be looking at books. Go to bed. Come on," Inuyasha took her arm and pulled her, reluctant, out of her chair and maneuvered her to her bed. She lay down on it, and blinked up at him sleepily.

"Where were you earlier? I was looking for you."

"Out." He didn't elaborate.

She lifted herself up on one elbow, concerned. "Make sure you don't attract any attention, Inuyasha. It's important that you aren't discovered as a youkai."

"Nobody will see me if I don't want to be seen," he huffed, crossing his arms. As if he had anything to worry about from this era's humans. They wouldn't know the first thing to do with a youkai. Though he did wonder what had happened to all the ones not disguised…

"Mama set up a futon for you in the living room." Kagome yawned as she reached for her alarm clock. She squinted as she set it.

"I'm not sleeping down there."

"Well, you can't sleep in here, now." She gave him a quick sideways glance, then replaced the clock on her nightstand and pulled the covers back.

"Fine, wench. I'm going outside."

"Suit yourself." She managed to convey reproach without even looking at him. "It's just too bad Mama went through the trouble of setting up a place for you."

Inuyasha flattened his ears in annoyance, uncrossing his arms. "Now wait just a minute, you—"

"Mama wants you to feel at home, you know. The living room is the only extra room in the house that you can have to yourself to sleep in, and she was worried you'd be uncomfortable. You don't want her to think her efforts were for nothing, do you?" She looked up at him, her eyes narrowed.

Inuyasha cringed at her glare, but still felt he needed to put up some resistance. Besides, if he was going to sleep in the house, this was the room he felt the most secure in. "I'm not sleeping there, bitch! I can hear the old man snoring up here, there's no way I could ignore it downstairs!"

Kagome sighed. "Just go down there tonight, Inuyasha, and tomorrow we'll figure out something else." She yawned again and fell back against the pillow, drawing the covers over her. "Go on, go downstairs. I'll see you in the morning." She rolled on her side away from him, clearly a dismissal.

"Dammit, bitch—"

"Good _night_, Inuyasha." She reached back without looking and turned off her bedside lamp. Cursing and grumbling under his breath, Inuyasha went downstairs, flopping down on the futon in disgust. As predicted, Jii-chan's snores echoed loudly in his ears. It was going to be a long night

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_Usually in dreams, even the strangest things seemed normal, at least until you woke up. Here, she knew that what she was seeing was backwards, divorced from reality. She was staring across at herself, her Kagome-self, who was concentrating wholly on the Shikon no Tama. Beautiful and deadly, the completed Jewel floated centimeters from their cupped hands, glowing a pulsing pinkish light. The Kagome-self coruscated with a powerful aura, eyes closed in total absorption in the task before them. She was aware of the forces involved, the specific mental disciplines, the formulae she used to accomplish their shared task; she felt the power gathering, her ghostly form pulsing with it. An orb of force emerged from their effort, crackling blue-white, to surround the Shikon. With senses she dimly knew she possessed she examined the sphere for weaknesses, and assessed the strength of both her selves for the next step; satisfied, she exerted her will, channeling their power, and the Jewel began dissolving._

_Almost immediately dark hideous thrashing and flailing was discernible within the globe, safely contained, as it brightened further with white light. The light gathered and separated from the orb, collecting itself into an enormous glowing soul, and began to form a human shape, which took its place beside the two of them. The Kagome-self had not opened her eyes, and stood locked into position. The third figure had resolved into the nebulous aspect of a woman wearing antique armor, with a similar expression of concentration on her face. She felt immense satisfaction. Now she could gather up her murderer and the sphere, finally depart this world, and open the pathway to hell. As she turned to what was left of Naraku, now gibbering in incoherent fear, she saw the Kagome-self's eyes opening and widening in horror…_

Kagome gasped and sat up. _God, Kikyou's memories._ She remembered well what had happened after that, but now she was beginning to understand her predecessor's methods and intent, both when she was human, and later, when she was not. Not a comforting parting-gift. _Thanks, Kikyou._ She wondered if there was a reason her subconscious had brought this specific knowledge to her attention, or if it was simply that she was still adjusting to the raw flood of information and experiences that had been poured into her. _But what's the use of it? _she thought, half-angrily. _Will I ever use these skills, this knowledge, again?_

Her bedroom door opened quietly, and she heard Inuyasha whisper "Kagome?"

"I had a dream, that's all. It woke me up. Was I talking in my sleep or something?"

He came into the room, a pale figure outlined by the dim glow of city lights seeping in her window. He crouched at her bedside, and she felt his fingers lightly touch the hand she was resting on top of the bedcovers. "You're always mumbling in your sleep, woman. It sounded like a bad dream, so I thought I'd check this time."

She sighed. "It was about the Shikon Jewel. Nothing to worry about now." She grasped his hand and gave it a light squeeze. "How are _you_ doing?"

He grunted. "I told you I couldn't sleep down there."

She smiled, hearing the faint echo of her grandfather's snores downstairs. "We'll think of something else, Inuyasha. Jii-chan was talking about clearing out the back room of the shrine office so you could have your own space. It would be quiet there, at least at night." He grunted again, dubiously this time. "How did you manage when we stayed with Kaede? She snored sometimes, too."

"I did the same thing I was going to do tonight, wench— I went up to the roof." He squeezed her hand back gently, and held it tentatively. "Kagome, I've been thinking…is there any way to find out what happened to the others? One of the things you study is history." He sighed. "And I guess they're history now, to us. Do any of your books talk about them?" He paused, uncertainly. She couldn't see his face, his expression. "I'd like to find the runt, if he's still around, but I wouldn't know where to start in this place."

_Shippou…Sango…Miroku…history. _She was silent for a moment as the knowledge crawled over her brain. "I don't know if there's a way to find out. The history books I've read so far don't say anything about any of us...them." Grief suddenly overwhelmed her; she hadn't allowed herself to think yet of the loss incurred by the well's closing. "I, I'll ask my grandfather in the morning if there are any shrine records. He's been telling me stories for years and I haven't l-listened—" Her voice hitched on the last word as her throat closed and tears began to fill her eyes.

"Oi! Kagome! Don't cry now, you've got to go back to sleep!" He sounded flustered, and was probably regretting bringing up the subject, she thought. "I'll bet that fucking runt of a kitsune will turn up one of these days, he'll come here and annoy the hell out of you, and then you'll never get any studying done…come on, Kagome, stop crying." He sat gingerly on the edge of the bed, still holding her hand.

"Shippou…I promised him I'd come back…" A sob escaped her. She felt horrible for suppressing her feelings about them all day, having instead concentrated on the relief she felt that Inuyasha was with her, and the immediacy of her life here. They were really gone. She would never see them, speak to them again; never see Sango and Miroku's children. If Shippou actually did still live, why hadn't he found her here? Was he angry with her for disappearing so long ago? She began to shake with the sobs that she tried to keep quiet, and the tears began to spill down her face. She could tell from Inuyasha's sputtering and the way he was clutching her hand now that she was upsetting him, but she felt helpless to stop the flood of emotion washing over her.

"Dammit—" Suddenly he grabbed her firmly and was holding her in a tight embrace. "Stop crying, Kagome." His action surprised her into obeying; she stopped and held still in his arms, betrayed only by brief trembling and a hiccupping breath. He stroked her hair with one hand, hesitantly, and continued when she didn't object. She felt the press of his body against hers, the familiar scent of his fire-rat clothes surround her, and closed her eyes, her breath calming; her arms went around him to hold him closer. She blotted her tears on his shoulder and savored his warmth. All thoughts fled. They stayed like that for a few moments, not long enough, before he let go, slowly. His eyes, glimmering gold in the dark, seemed to bore into hers for a long moment, then he stood up. "Sleep, Kagome. It'll be all right."

_Yes…he's here, and we're together. _She let herself feel comforted, and slowly lay back down, blinking up at him.

He seemed to hesitate, and then he was leaning over her, his hair ticklish on her neck, and giving her a fleeting kiss on the lips. Then he was gone, out the door before she could say anything. She pressed her fingers to her lips, wonderingly. _He kissed me…_

She smiled and turned on her side, sorrows temporarily forgotten, and drifted into slumber.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: Inuyasha and associated characters are the property of Rumiko Takahashi.

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**Chapter 3**

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Inuyasha paused in his soundless flight at the foot of the stairs, heart pounding, and strained to catch the sound of pursuit, but there was none. No 'sit' either. _I kissed Kagome._ He couldn't believe he had done that. Had she been too surprised to 'sit' him? Would it have been too loud? Maybe she was saving retribution for the morning. _But she kissed me earlier today—I was just paying her back. Yeah._ All he could hear was the faint sound of a sigh, and then silence. Ears flicking, he slowly made his way to the living room where the futon awaited. He stretched out on it, his thoughts drowning out the sound of Jijii's snores. _I kissed Kagome, and she let me._ A sudden grin lit his face. Things were looking up.

The futon, slightly musty from having been in storage, was not uncomfortable; he tried to relax enough to get some sleep. The looming black void of the 'television' was faintly disturbing, and he turned on his side to face away from it. If only it wasn't so noisy down here, and it still smelled of some kind of spicy food in this room too…well, he had put up with a _lot_ worse than this. The nicest thing about this house was the way Kagome's scent wove through everything…

At some point during the night, he did manage to drift off; he woke after dawn at the sound of people stirring. He sat up abruptly, and then relaxed, remembering where he was. He got up and stretched; shortly Mama emerged from her room, padding down the hallway and peering into the living room. She seemed a bit dismayed that he was awake and up already.

"Inuyasha, did you sleep well?"

"Ah…the old man snores a lot."

"Oh! Well, you should have woken me. We could have moved you to Souta's room..."

Inuyasha winced; yeah, he should have settled this yesterday. _I'd never get any damn rest with that kid pestering me all the time. _He folded his hands into his sleeves as he stepped into the hallway. "Uh, no, that's alright. It was fine. I can always sleep outside, anyway."

"Sleep outside! Dear, I'm sure it's much more comfortable inside, it's still chilly out. We'll think of something else if you don't want to share a room with Souta…"

_Dammit--_ "No, it's alright! I like it outside!"

"I'll ask Jii-chan. I think he had some ideas." With that she proceeded thoughtfully to the kitchen; pans and bowls clattered as she began breakfast preparations. _Not sure if I want to know what kind of ideas the old crackpot might have. _Maybe Kagome could say something to her mother that would induce her to _not worry _abouthim. He stared after her for a moment, and followed her, for lack of any other diversions; he didn't know how to turn on the 'television' thing. Might as well sit in the kitchen to wait for Kagome.

The other members of the family appeared gradually. Souta came down first, with a grin for his hero, followed by Kagome in her navy blue high school uniform, yawning. He hunched his shoulders defensively, but she only gave him a sweet smile. She wasn't mad? Bemused, he continued eating the breakfast that Mama set in front of him, occasionally sneaking sideways peeks at Kagome, and pondered her behavior; his spirits lifted further. _Did I do something right? _Kagome definitely seemed to be in a good mood. The old man finally showed up, carrying his 'newspaper'; Inuyasha and Kagome both missed the searching look he gave his granddaughter, who was still smiling faintly as she served herself rice and miso.

She occasionally peeked back at him as she ate, oblivious to her grandfather's scrutiny; Inuyasha managed to avoid actually meeting her eyes. She was making him nervous now. Gradually, though, her pretty brows crinkled in evident thought, and she stared off into space, absently picking at her food. Or was she still half asleep? When she had nearly finished eating, she faced the old man suddenly, and asked, "Jii-chan, how far back do the records of the shrine go?" Inuyasha looked at her out of the corner of his eye. So she _was _awake; she looked determined, but not upset as she had been last night.

Her grandfather lifted bushy eyebrows at her. "You should know this already, Kagome, but in the shrine office we have records going back as far as the Meiji Era," he pronounced proudly.

Her disappointment was patently obvious as her face fell. "That's only a little more than a hundred years or so. There's nothing earlier?"

"Hmm." Slightly taken aback, he stroked his beard as he regarded her. "Many shrines don't even have that much, granddaughter. I'll tell you, we did have an archive of some very ancient records at one time…I remember my father going through them once, before the war ended. They've been lost for some time now, though. Let me think about it a bit, and see if I can guess where they might be."

Kagome had brightened at his words. "Thanks, Jii-chan. I can help you look when I get home from school." She got to her feet, picking up her breakfast dishes and carrying them to the sink. Inuyasha's eyes followed her, trying to discern her mood now; she appeared contemplative, a shadow of disquiet hinting at the thoughts behind that calm façade. She obviously hadn't forgotten about his question last night. Maybe the old man would be able to find those papers today. Inuyasha thought back, trying to remember if he'd ever seen Kaede keeping anything like that; he remembered the noxious smell of ink in the old hag's hut, but couldn't recall what she had been using it for. Maybe writing letters. She was probably the only native of that village who could read and write.

Shortly both Souta and Kagome had gathered their things and were out the door; Kagome gave him another of those smiles that he wished he could interpret as she left. Inuyasha listened to her fading steps outside, and gave thought to what he would do here, since he could no longer go back and lounge in his own world. It was pointless to follow her to school; it was harder to stay inconspicuous in daylight, and she would ignore him anyway, or even worse, try to force him to go away. Exploring would also have to wait for the cover of darkness. Well, what he had usually done when here any length of time, waiting for Kagome, had been to help the old man with chores around the shrine. He turned to face Jijii, to surprise that speculative look on his face again; the old man narrowed his eyes slightly.

Inuyasha was starting to get annoyed. "What?" he barked. The old man raised his eyebrows.

"Nothing, boy, nothing. So, what were you going to do today?"

"Hmph. You got something you need help with?"

Jijii smiled slightly. "Oh yes, a couple of things."

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Kagome found herself veering to the well house as she crossed the courtyard; Souta didn't notice she wasn't following him until he had reached the steps, and she caught his exasperated yell. "I'm coming! I'm just going to check something!" she yelled back. She didn't bother to look back to see him shake his head and continue down the steps.

Sliding the door back, she paused, leaning against the wall. The dim interior looked unchanged from all the other times she had seen it; dust motes danced in the morning light beaming through the open door. Was it real? The well, which had so transformed her life, was it really just an old curiosity now? Impossible. She closed her eyes briefly, stretching her senses. She thought back to the events of the day before, when she had done…something…in her desperate attempt to reconnect with Inuyasha. She had been able to sense his youki, and had also been aware of the fading magic of the well. Kikyou's memory had supplied a formula for opening gateways, and she had done it; that Inuyasha was here was proof that _something_ had worked. Could she do it again? Stepping down until she stood before the shaft, she placed her hands on the rim and concentrated, but after several minutes had to concede that nothing was happening this time. The well was completely unresponsive and inert. An old dry well, just as she had always thought of it before her fifteenth birthday. She clenched her hands on the wood; tears pricked at her eyes, and she blinked them away angrily. She wasn't going to give up that easily. It was unbearable to think that they would never be able to see their friends again without at least trying some more. She turned around and hurried up the steps, closing the well house doors behind her, and rushed to catch up with Souta.

She checked in at the main office when she arrived at the high school, as she usually did whenever she got back from trips to the feudal era. She had managed to convince her grandfather to come up with a better story to explain her absences when she started at the new school, one that was more believable than chronic health problems, since Kagome was obviously quite healthy and vigorous. Jii-chan and Mama had met with the administrator and explained that Kagome was undergoing intense spiritual training in remote mountain retreats, and would be away frequently. The administrator had very politely accepted the story at face value, coming from a priest of Jii-chan's stature, although Kagome wasn't sure what he privately thought of it. Regardless, it had been arranged that whenever she came back from her sojourns she would check in at the office and pick up assignments and study materials. On top of the stack of papers that was handed to her this morning was a note from the guidance counselor, indicating that she was to see him as soon as possible. She took herself off to his office accordingly.

Mr. Hirano smiled and waved her in when she tapped on the doorframe. She had always felt comfortable with the counselor, a man in late middle age who she knew to have several children of his own; he was unfailingly courteous and friendly, and sympathetic to her efforts to keep up in school in addition to her "religious studies". He gestured to the chair beside his desk. "Ah, Higurashi-kun. How has your training been going? Are you back in school for the duration, I hope?"

She sat down, carefully controlling her expression. "It looks like I may be finished with training for the time being, Hirano-sensei. I don't foresee going back to the retreat anytime soon."

"Well, that's good! You'll be able to concentrate on your finals, then. Now, you took some entrance exams before you left this last time, correct?" He leaned over a file drawer, extracted a file marked with her name, and spread it out on his desk. "You indicated interest in several universities the last time I talked to you, and I understand you passed the nationals."

"Yes, sir. I took the exams for Waseda and Kokugakuin. I'm waiting for the results to be published."

He ran a finger down a list in her file. "I see. Hmm. Kokugakuin University, with its Shinto studies program, would seem to be a natural fit for you, given the religious instruction you've been undergoing and your shrine background." He paused to look up at her.

"I'm sure my grandfather would like that, as he attended there." She smiled. "But I'm also interested in Waseda University. They have a good history department."

"Aiming high, are you? Good, good. I don't think I need to warn you that competition will be intense." Mr. Hirano leaned back in his chair and regarded her. "Well, you'll have to decide which university will do more for you, assuming you've passed the exams. Kokugakuin has a well-known history department as well, and if you decide later that you wish to pursue Shinto studies, you won't be able to do that at Waseda." He frowned for a moment. "Perhaps I'm assuming too much. I had thought, given all the time that you've been spending on religious training, that you were planning on a shrine career; has all this been your family's idea, or yours?"

"Oh no, sensei, my studies were my own idea. I'm just not sure if I want to take the next step." _And that's if I even get in to either one…_

"Well, Higurashi-kun, consider your interests and the time you've invested so far, and choose well. My feeling is that if you get into Kokugakuin, you have more choices; you can pursue shrine studies or history, and change your mind at any point without worrying about changing schools. Or you can pursue both. Think about it."

Kagome thanked him for his time, and walked thoughtfully to class. There was a lot to be said for his advice; and he was right, Shinto studies seemed perfect, though history would be natural as well. Both would draw upon her experience in the past. If she became a history major, she could easily specialize in the feudal era, and if she pursued Shinto studies she could earn the accreditation required for running a shrine—though she was still hesitant about that. Was that her desire, or an echo of Kikyou's?

She just wasn't certain she wanted to stake her future on the shrine and on a degree from a school renowned nowadays mostly for religious training and a nationalistic past. Something in her rebelled at the idea; before her experiences in the feudal age, she had not even considered following in Jii-chan's footsteps as head priest at the shrine, but a lot had changed since then. _She_ had changed. She knew her talents and experience, as unusual as they were, shouldn't be wasted. Somehow she couldn't see getting a degree in something innocuous and going off to work in an office for a while, then getting married to some salaryman and having 2.5 children. She smiled to herself in amusement, her steps slowing, and someone bumped into her from behind; she immediately sped up again after exchanging apologies with the harried-looking boy who bumped her. When had she stopped thinking about that? _Probably sometime after I met a certain cranky hanyou…_

She seldom saw her old girlfriends from junior high, but when she did these days they talked about nearly nothing else but finding good marriage prospects. It seemed to her that the only reason they wanted to get into college was to meet men. She had usually listened with only half an ear, as her concentration was given almost entirely to her mission, as she regarded it, in the feudal age. After meeting Inuyasha, they had been a bit more reconciled to their friend 'dating' him, but she still got the feeling they had reservations about him as someone to get serious about. But what did they know about his character, or the things they had gone through together? Yes, now she was back in the real world for good, and had to think about real-world things. But still, she doubted she could find any modern guy who could measure up to him. She felt warm as she thought of Inuyasha; his concern for her, the way he had hugged her last night, and then the brief kiss. _The real world is bearable because Inuyasha will share it with me. Somehow we'll find a way._ The bell rang, and she pushed the thoughts to the back of her mind, concentrating instead on getting to class.

The day passed fairly quickly. She was dismayed to learn that she had _several_ make-up exams that she would have to take on Saturday; she would have to study like a fiend to prepare. The few friends she had managed to make in the small amount of time she had actually spent at the high school were happy to see her, and glad to hear that she would be able to finish out the school year without further interruptions. Several offered to copy their notes for her. The results of entrance exams were the topic of discussion on everyone's minds at this time of year. She wistfully wondered which schools her junior high friends were trying for. They had all managed better scores than her on high school entrance exams, even Ayumi, and had gone to higher-ranked schools; as a consequence she saw them infrequently now because of their completely incompatible schedules. Of course, they'd had time for cram school and studying. She'd spent her time hunting shards and fighting Naraku. She wished that Naraku had not chosen to reveal himself right at the time she should have been studying for exams; just as inconveniently, he had gone to ground and hidden for some time _after_ the damage had been done to her scores. _Jerk._

_Well, I shouldn't feel too bad about that,_ she thought as she walked home that afternoon. _He had to be hunted down and destroyed. It was way more important than getting into a better high school._ _Who knows what might have happened if Naraku had lived._ Examining her feelings, she realized that she didn't harbor any bitterness (though she certainly still thought he was a jerk for his timing), especially when she thought what a relief it was to know that he would never threaten anyone again. She looked about her as she passed through her home neighborhood, thinking about how this same area had been within the bounds of the village in the feudal era; she smiled and waved at neighbors as she passed, and wondered if they were descended from people she had known then. _The village—safe_. _And Kaede could breathe easy, finally. And Miroku was saved from his curse, and Sango got revenge for her family…and Kikyou was able to rest. Maybe that was enough to satisfy Inuyasha…_

When she arrived home, she found herself drawn to where Inuyasha was; without bothering to put her bookbag in the house, she crossed the white stones of the courtyard, moving unerringly towards the feel of his youki. She turned the corner of the shrine storage shed with happy anticipation, and was brought up short to find him sitting outside the shed's door, arms crossed and looking peeved. A cap disguised his ears, and his haori lay next to him on the ground. It looked like nearly every box that had been in the storage shed was stacked outside, some open. Souta was poking curiously in one of them nearby. Kagome could hear her grandfather muttering to himself inside the building, and the occasional sound of paper shuffling.

"Inuyasha, what's all this?" A sweep of her hand encompassed the spread of boxes, a puzzled frown on her face.

"Keh! That senile old fart had me drag every box out here so he could look for the old papers! I told him I could tell which ones smelled of paper and ink without getting them all down, but he wouldn't listen to me. He's looked in every fucking box. We did the same thing earlier with that other little building." He waved in the direction of the shrine office. "I can't believe the amount of junk that's hoarded away here. That shit over there is ancient, but he doesn't want to throw it out." He pointed to a box marked 'pickles'.

She walked over to the box in question, looked in, and blanched. There were jars of pickled radish in there that she remembered old Mrs. Matsuda giving them more than a few years ago. She silently determined to get rid of them later. For now, she wanted to see if he had found anything that might tell her what had happened after the well closed. She entered the shed, to find Jii-chan hunched over a box, looking at what appeared to be old and yellowed letters. He looked up when she came in.

"Ah, Kagome. I haven't found the archives, but I think I've gotten a hint. These are letters that my father received from my older brother during the war." Kagome remembered that her great-uncle had been a soldier, and had not made it back to Japan at war's end. "He is telling my father that the war was not going well, and to be sure to secure the treasures of the shrine in case the worst happened." Jii-chan looked down at the letter, his face still. "And it did, of course. I was too young for my father to talk to me of such matters, but I think he may have concealed the oldest records somewhere, with the other heirlooms, when it was clear the Americans were coming."

"What war was this? There were foreigners here?" Inuyasha had padded in behind Kagome; his expression indicated skepticism. He was shrugging on his haori as he spoke.

"Not just Musashi, Inuyasha. All of Japan was defeated and occupied, more than fifty years ago. Remember I showed you my modern history book?"

"Yeah, I remember now. They used some huge weapon in Kyushu country, didn't they?" Inuyasha's face had cleared, and he was looking down into the box of letters with some curiosity. "Hmph. Wonder what my asshole brother thought of _that_. Kyushu is part of his lands."

_Sesshoumaru—could he still be alive?_ The idea gave her pause—how could a taiyoukai exist in the modern world without a hint of his presence known to anyone? Kagome shook her head, putting the thought aside. "So you think Great-Grandfather hid the documents somewhere? And what sort of treasures? Why didn't he retrieve them after the war, Jii-chan?"

Her grandfather had a faraway look on his face; he blinked at her question and looked up at her from his position on the floor next to the box. "You don't know what it was like, granddaughter. The war itself was terrible, but what came after was almost as bad. It wasn't just that much of Tokyo was firebombed to ashes. The countryside and crops were destroyed as well, there was nothing to eat, and you had to fear your own countrymen stealing from you more than the foreigners. I'm sure Father kept the relics hid as much to protect them from theft as to keep from being tempted to sell them himself. I know he did sell some things, it was that desperate. It was hard to find any food, and Father gave most of what he got to Mother and me." Jii-chan sighed and closed his eyes. "That's probably why he got sick and died soon after the war. He wouldn't eat if we were hungry."

"Jii-chan…" Kagome breathed, in pity and sadness. "That's…that's awful. Couldn't he have saved some of it for himself…?"

"No. That's what a man should do. His wife and kids come first." Inuyasha was staring with peculiar concentration at the old man. "So this realm hasn't always been so peaceful and prosperous, eh?" the hanyou continued.

Jii-chan looked up at Inuyasha, and their eyes met and held for a moment. "No, it hasn't." He closed the box carefully, and creakily got to his feet. "Kagome, I feel certain that the archives are somewhere on the shrine grounds, but well hidden, and my father may even have set spiritual protections on them." He paused and regarded her intently. "His powers were great, much more so than mine. They could be concealed in one of the buildings or they may have been buried somewhere." He glanced at the hanyou, standing beside Kagome with his arms folded in his sleeves. "Maybe the dog-demon here can sniff them out."

Inuyasha withdrew his clenched fists from his sleeves, bristling. "I'm not a fucking hound!"

Jii-chan continued blithely, "We were lucky that the shrine survived the war without much damage, so I am sure they still exist." With that he started past them out of the shed, pausing to pat Inuyasha on the shoulder. "I'm going in for some tea. Put the boxes away, will you boy? They're definitely not in these. We didn't need to take all of them down after all." The old man appeared blissfully unaware of the outraged look the hanyou was shooting daggerlike at his back as he slowly made his way to the house.

"DAMMIT—"

"Inuyasha." Kagome cut him off before he exploded. He glared at her angrily.

"What? That fucking geezer! I told him before that he didn't need to look through all of them!" He scowled. "You're helping me with this, wench. And we're going to throw some of this crap out, so I don't have to put it back."

"All right. As it happens, I agree with you that some of this has to go." She shuddered, thinking about the pickles. Jii-chan couldn't think they were still edible, could he? "But we can also check and see if there's anything concealed in here. You didn't notice anything magical in all this, did you?"

"I didn't notice anything, but that doesn't mean much." Inuyasha hefted the box of letters back onto the shelf. "If there had been a barrier or protection on something, I probably would have noticed in a hurry, but anything else would have seemed like more old crap to me."

They spent the better part of the next hour putting crates and boxes back in the shed, and stealthily disposing of several boxes of junk, including rotting old clothes, broken pottery, and the deadly pickles. Souta had disappeared even before she had thought to draft him to help, the sneaky brat. Kagome winced at the thought of the time spent on this that she could have used for studying, but this was important too. While they worked she had also examined the shed, trying to sense if there was anything concealed magically here, but aside from a few talismans and other items in scattered boxes, there was nothing of note. They tried the walls, looking for secret compartments, but it quickly became apparent that the shed was exactly what it seemed. She gave up, trudging dispiritedly to the house at her mother's dinner call from the kitchen door. Inuyasha, walking with her, frowned at her demeanor.

"Hey." Inuyasha nudged her. "Don't be like that, Kagome. We'll find that stuff, and then we'll know what happened to the others after we left." She looked up at him, and felt reassured by the concern and determination in his regard of her. She nodded, giving him a tremulous smile, which he returned before turning his face away abruptly. Her spirits lifted, and she was able to greet her mother and brother cheerfully before they sat down to eat. She didn't notice the looks exchanged between her mother and grandfather as they observed the warm glances she gave Inuyasha throughout the meal, whenever she thought he wasn't looking. Only Souta noticed the slight smile on his mother's face, and wondered what it might be about, but kept his thoughts to himself.

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TBC


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: Inuyasha and associated characters are the property of Rumiko Takahashi.

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**Chapter 4**

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The next two days passed uneventfully. Kagome threw herself into her studies every minute she was home, completely ignoring him and everything else. The lack of attention frustrated Inuyasha; he made several more exploratory forays at night in an attempt to relieve his boredom, but found not much of interest. He was especially disappointed to not have caught the scent of the possible tai-youkai again. Another strong demon could be trouble, especially if it didn't want to leave _his_ territory quietly. At least he was able to run. This city was so overstuffed with humans, with buildings spread as far as the eye could see; being able to run and leap at top speed along the rooftops let him breathe easier and regain an illusion of solitude. The sky was still open, at least. In the early morning hours the city, at least this part, was dark and sleeping; many of the artificial lights were turned off by then, and he could see some of the stars through the scudding clouds. Inuyasha wondered how all the forests that had covered the land could have disappeared so completely. It was disquieting. _What happened to all the youkai that lived here? _Not that he had a problem with a lack of pest youkai, the kind that Naraku had made frequent use of, but there were a lot of other demons that had roamed the woods and fields. Where had they gone?

The days weren't dull, for the most part because the old man usually had some task or another he would present to Inuyasha. It was amazing how a shrine that looked so well-kept had so many roof shingles and rotting boards to replace, shelves to shore up, and crumbling stonework to be dug out, replaced and mortared. The hanyou grumbled about the chores, but he never refused to help regardless. He recognized that a lot of it was heavy work that the geezer wouldn't be able to manage, but was ridiculously easy for him. Besides, there was something in the old man's expression that gave him pause; an air of challenge, almost, but nothing he could put a finger on. So far all of the old man's demands had been reasonable, except maybe for the first day when he had to pull down all of those fucking boxes when he _knew_ there was nothing but junk in them. Kagome had helped afterwards, though, which compensated a bit for it. He hadn't had much time with her since then, as the tests she was taking on Saturday were apparently so damn important. She even had set aside the search for the old records, which did indicate how serious she was about school right now. He managed to assuage his disgruntlement by commandeering the remote control from Souta and Jii-chan in the evenings, now that Souta had so obligingly shown him how to use it. Their whining complaints about his channel surfing were amusing, at least until he got bored again.

Souta had been by turns annoyingly ubiquitous and helpful. Any time the kid was home from school and not studying, he was following Inuyasha around. The kid was constantly burbling on about school, his friends and his interests, like 'football' and his 'skateboard', but was always keen on whatever the hanyou was doing. It was completely unlike having Shippou around, as the kitsune had been sarcastic and critical much of the time, but still as aggravating. Inuyasha was uncomfortable with the hero-worship, but he had to admit that the kid imparted useful information once in a while; he would rattle off details about anything of interest, from the 'planes' in the sky (Inuyasha had wondered if they were dragons) to the million and one bizarre things on the 'TV'. Since the boy so obviously looked up to him, Inuyasha couldn't bring himself to deliver the putdowns he wouldn't have hesitated to use on Shippou, and grudgingly allowed the kid to hang around. Whenever it got too much he could just disappear to the roof or a favored tree, anyway. He could see why Kagome didn't allow her brother in her room without permission.

Kagome might be too busy to look for buried treasure, but he had plenty of time when he wasn't hauling crap around for the old man. He quartered the grounds, looking for signs of disturbed earth, though frankly after nearly sixty years he had faint hope that there would be any way to tell. The deeply forested hillside around the shrine was dotted with numerous little piles of dirt from exploratory holes by Friday, though he'd turned up nothing interesting. Nothing interesting to him, anyway. Souta, who had been 'helping', had gone wild over the corroded remnants of an old sword Inuyasha had dug up after smelling a faint trace of metal; after seeing it, Mama had asked him to let anything else he found lie undisturbed so that she could call some "archaeologists" from the "antiquities department" to come take a look at it. He'd shrugged and agreed, with the caveat that if he found the lost records he'd bring them up immediately. Privately, he wanted to find something spectacular to show Kagome, something that would draw her away from her books and turn her attention to him again. The only place he left alone was the area near the well; he didn't want to get anywhere near it without Kagome. He knew it was stupid to think that something might reach out of it and snatch him back to the feudal age without her, but his hackles rose whenever he even thought about going near the well house.

On Friday afternoon, Mama took him out clothes shopping. He had initially resisted her suggestion that he get more clothes; his fire-rat outfit was good enough for him. What did he need with more? But despite his stubborn rebuff of the idea, he somehow found himself accompanying her and Souta, a cap on his head to disguise his ears, on an expedition to what she called a "department store." She picked out a number of outfits for him, including reassuringly familiar yukata and hakama to wear at home, though she also pulled out modern clothes for wearing in public; she guessed at his size since he refused to try them on. Despite his protestations he found himself carrying a number of bags of clothes home. Souta had enthusiastically assisted in selection, and had assured him that all the clothes were "cool" enough for him— the boy had vetoed several choices that Mama had proffered. Since the clothes were uniformly strange to him, he went along with Souta's advice, though he hadn't made up his mind as to whether he would wear them or not. He couldn't even admit it to himself, but he harbored a dread of wearing something weird enough that Kagome would laugh.

They stopped in a noodle shop on the way home for a bite to eat. The ramen here was different from the cup noodles he was used to, but still good; he and Souta gulped theirs quickly, while Mama ate at a much more sedate pace. He finished so quickly that Mama urged him to have more food, but to try some udon this time. She looked pleased when he scarfed it down, finding it very tasty. She ordered some more of both to take home, for Kagome and Jii-chan. When Souta finished, he got up to play a "video game" at a machine in the corner of the shop, leaving Inuyasha and Mama sitting at the table to finish their tea. Blowing at some of the steam curling from her cup, she turned to him with her customary smile.

"So, how are you settling in, Inuyasha?" She took a delicate sip, and considered him over the rim. "I know the changes that have happened can't be easy for you."

Inuyasha slurped down a large mouthful of udon and swallowed hastily. "Everything's fine." He wondered if her question had something to do with not sleeping indoors; he had slept outside since the first night, sometimes on the roof of the house, but more often in a couple of the larger trees on the shrine grounds. He wasn't sure yet if he wanted to stay in the little room behind the shrine office that the old man had him clean out. It had only one small window, which might make it difficult to smell or hear anything going on outside; how would he be able to tell if something attacked the shrine? He waited for her to pester him about living inside or some such thing. But she didn't pursue the topic; she was silent for a few minutes, picking at the remnants of her noodles with her chopsticks.

"Jii-chan says that you have been very helpful." He blinked suspiciously at the abrupt change of subject; she was looking away from him now, out the window of the shop. He followed her eyes, but there was nothing of note outside, just more humans hurrying to wherever people went these days. The only ones walking slowly were a man and a woman, laughing together as they passed.

The statement didn't seem to require an answer, but he felt compelled to respond anyway. "A weak old man like that always needs help," he said with a snort.

She focused on him, the smile back on her lips. He suddenly saw an echo of Kagome's kind expression...was that why he felt so comfortable with this woman? "Yes, but you're always willing. That's wonderful, Inuyasha. Jii-chan is getting quite old, and needs a lot of help, it's true. He hadn't expected to have to keep working at his age, you know. Kagome's father was supposed to have taken over as head priest at some point so that he could retire. As it is, he hopes that he can keep on until Souta is old enough to take over, but he's worried that something will happen to him, or that Souta won't be interested, and some outsider will take over the shrine."

Inuyasha poked at the bits at the bottom of his bowl. "What about Kagome? Or you?"

"Kagome…well, we didn't think she had any interest. She never used to listen to Jii-chan when he would talk about the history of the shrine, so we thought that it would have to be Souta. As for me, I don't know that the people in the neighborhood would accept me. I'm not trained or anything." A faint blush tinted her face. "I don't have any spiritual powers to speak of, anyway."

"Neither does Jijii," said the hanyou sardonically, and laid his chopsticks across his bowl. "Let's get going. Hey, half-pint, leave that," he called across the room to Souta as he got up. After a short delay in which Souta demanded to finish his game, they proceeded home. Inuyasha had the feeling that there was something else Mama had wanted to bring up; whatever it was, it was probably something he probably wouldn't want to talk about anyway. He counted himself lucky to have escaped another female interrogation.

Kagome was already immured in her room studying when they got back; Inuyasha managed to peel her away from her books long enough to eat some of the noodles that her mother had brought home for her, but as soon as she finished she was back upstairs, and threatening to sit him into a crater if he didn't leave her alone. He went up on the roof to sulk for a while. _Dammit, I'm going to find a way to make that well work again, but this time we'll be stuck on the side without books, and cars, and millions of humans, and you'll be with me instead of studying… _He almost wished that there were still shards back there to find. They always made a great argument for dragging her away, especially since she felt so guilty about breaking the fucking jewel in the first place. If there were shards then the well would still work, and everything would be back to normal… he fantasized about that for a while, and drifted off into a doze. He awoke when the other members of the household were going to bed, and he swung down to Kagome's window to check on her. She was still awake and studying when he slid the window open. "Oi, Kagome, time to knock it off— "

She didn't look up from her book. "I'm not going to sleep yet. Go away and let me study."

"You've been studying for days! Are you going to stay up all night?" He crouched on the windowsill and stared at the back of her head. Maybe if he kept staring at her she'd get the message and get some rest. She had to get some rest because he wanted her to help him look tomorrow after her test, and she'd be useless if she didn't get any sleep. He stared for some time without a twitch out of her. Impatient, he opened his mouth to berate her, took a breath for a satisfying yell, and--

"Don't do it."

"Or what? Why don't you do what I say and get some fucking rest, moron?"

"Osuwari."

"_Oof!_" He slammed into the floor below her window. He managed to angle his face up to look at her, and he gulped. She looked _furious. _"Kagome, you have to get some sleep you dumb bitch! How are you supposed to take your fucking tests if you're falling asleep?"

"Osuwari!" The floor met his face again as the supports underneath it creaked dangerously. A sleepy voice called a question from downstairs. "Inuyasha, I _told_ you I'd subdue you through the floor if you bother me tonight! I have to do well on these tests if I'm going to graduate!" Her eyes glinted. "I can get by with four or five hours of sleep, but I have to get _uninterrupted study time_. Do you understand?"

"Keh! Fine, bitch! Have fun with your fucking books! I'll be out of your hair as soon as you let me up!" They glared at each other until the spell released him, and he jumped to his feet. With a disdainful sniff he leaped out the window with the intention of heading for his favorite tree to stew for a while, but paused on the ground outside for a moment to see what she would do. She appeared momentarily and shut the window; she didn't lock it. Her face reflected resignation and weariness. He was still angry, but it was fading somewhat at the sight of her expression. _Damn it, Kagome,_ he fumed as he headed for his tree, _this studying shit better be over soon. It looks like a big waste of time you could be spending on other things. _He settled on a sturdy branch, and impatiently waited for the morning.

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Kagome got up early, gulped down her breakfast, and left quickly the next morning. Inuyasha stayed in his tree until she was gone. He was still pissed at her for sitting him –_twice!— _the night before, and for what? He'd been looking after her, hadn't he? Stupid wench. He came down for breakfast, still sulking. Mama handed him a plate she had evidently been keeping warm for him, just as if she had expected him to be late for breakfast. Jii-chan was finishing his while scanning the paper, and soon went out to attend to the shrine. Souta had already finished and was watching TV.

He picked at his food broodingly. He was slightly surprised when Mama sat down with her own plate; hadn't she eaten already? They ate in companiable silence. When Mama cleared her throat, he looked up at her, an eyebrow cocked.

"Inuyasha, I know it's been hard for you to adjust to being here, especially with Kagome so absorbed in schoolwork." He snorted and looked away quickly.

"Hmmf. Like I care what she does."

"Er, yes." Dammit, was she laughing at him? He slid a look at her; she _was_ smiling! Before he could remonstrate with her, she continued. "I have to warn you, this will be going on until she graduates." _Shit, how long will she be occupied with this studying crap? What about finding out about the runt?_ His ears lowered, he frowned, staring at a spot on the table while he contemplated the boredom he faced. Abruptly Mama got up, picking up their breakfast dishes and carrying them to the sink. "You know, I think she'll be glad to have these tests over so she can have a little more free time. I think she's anxious to help you look for the old shrine things." She started washing the dishes, her back turned to him, as he watched her curiously, wondering where she was going with this. "And since she's been studying so hard, I'll bet she wouldn't mind a little diversion this afternoon when she comes back. Why don't you take her out to eat?"

"Take her out— what's wrong with the food here? Why the hell should I— "

Mama looked over her shoulder at him. "You want to spend some time with her, don't you?"

"Keh!"

"Right." She turned back to the dishes. "Inuyasha, when young men of this time want to spend time alone with young ladies, typically they take them out on a date. That usually involves getting something to eat, and then doing something entertaining. Maybe you could go for a walk, see some sights. I think Kagome would welcome the chance to show you the city."

"You do? Uh, I mean, why wouldn't she?" Inuyasha said, flustered. _Young men and young ladies? A **date**? She **wants** me to— to do something like that? With Kagome?_

Pausing in her labors at the sink, Mama dried her hands and went over to her purse, hanging by its strap over the back of a chair. She took out her wallet and withdrew some of the modern money he had seen Kagome use at the store, and extended it towards him. "This should be plenty to cover both of you for an outing."

He didn't reach for it, sitting up stiffly. "I don't need charity, woman."

She gave him an innocent, doe-eyed look, and kept extending the money. "I wouldn't dream of it. This is for helping around the shrine. Jii-chan discussed this with you, didn't he?" At his incredulous expression, she looked dismayed. "Oh dear. Well, you can talk to him about it at some point, I suppose. At any rate," she took hold of one of his clawed hands and stuffed the bills into it, "take this for the time being." Too surprised by her action to shove them back— she'd actually touched his hand?— he stared down at the bills; it was hard to believe these flimsy things were actually worth something. "Oh, and wear some of your new clothes. Be ready to go by the time she comes home. I'd say that will be around 1:30, so you have plenty of time." She smiled at him, and then turned back to the dishes. Speechless, he let her.

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_Mou, that was tough,_ Kagome thought as she slowly climbed the steps to the shrine. She felt fairly confident that she had done well— her spate of cramming had helped, but she had been able to concentrate on her schoolwork earlier in the school year, which she thought had given her a good foundation. Right now, she was starving. _I hope Mama has something ready for me, since I didn't have lunch._ She wound her way through the crowds of people visiting the shrine today, making it to her house without being stopped, either by well-meaning neighborhood busybodies or by Jii-chan. He had floated a proposal earlier this week that she work part-time as a miko— though he meant duties a lot different from the ones Kikyou or Kaede had taken on. Modern shrine maidens were essentially part-time clerks, other than taking part in certain ceremonies. He needed the help with the gift shop and the office, he said, and she could probably use more pocket money, couldn't she? She could, but she didn't even want to think about taking on more responsibilities right now, while she still had finals. She was still apprehensive about whether she'd passed the entrance exams for the two universities.

Opening the door, she kicked off her shoes, her called "Tadaima" answered by a couple of replies of "Okaeri." She advanced to the living room, to find Inuyasha and Souta sitting on the floor, engaged in playing a video game. She was taken aback to see that Inuyasha was not wearing his usual outfit. He was wearing modern clothes, a jersey and loose-fitting jeans. He didn't take his eyes off the game, but asked her, "Oi, Kagome. You want to go get something to eat?"

"You mean go out? Uh, sure." _Wait, is he asking me out?_

"Alright. Just wait a minute so I can demolish this punk here."

Souta scoffed, "Hah! You can't beat me at this game— you just learned how to play!" They played furiously for a couple of minutes; Kagome watched briefly. Inuyasha did seem to be playing very well. She supposed his incredible reflexes would help with virtual fights as well as real ones. She went upstairs to change, dragging her bookbag behind her.

She dressed carefully in one of her nicer outfits. He had changed for her, hadn't he? How and why were in question, though. When she came back downstairs, she found Souta sitting sullenly on the floor; the score blinking on the television indicated why. She grinned at him. "So what happened? The great Souta lost?" Souta just grunted. Inuyasha was smirking as he stood up and adjusted the cap on his head. The modern clothes were startling on him; still loose, they were more close-fitting than his fire-rat outfit. But he looked…good. Very good. The clothes suited him, and…made him suddenly look like he belonged here in modern Tokyo, golden eyes and white hair notwithstanding. _If I saw him passing on the street, I would definitely give him a second look. But not because he looked out of place…_

She was staring at him; just as she realized it, he noticed, blinked and started to recoil, with a glance down at his clothes.

"Shit, I knew this was a bad idea." He began to back up, away from her, but she reached forward and grabbed his jersey.

"Wait, Inuyasha. You…look really nice like that." She smiled up at him; his golden eyes reflected surprise, and suddenly she felt her face heat and her grip on his shirt loosened. He stopped pulling away, staring at her a moment, and she saw his face pinken. "It's just, you look different. Where'd the clothes come from?"

He looked away with an annoyed expression, pushing her hand away and crossing his arms across his chest.

"Your mother said that what I was wearing would draw attention if I went out in it. She kept on about it, so I put these on to shut her up."

"O-kay." She hid a smile. _Right, like he would change his clothes to suit anybody else._ "So, what's the occasion for going out?"

"Nothing, wench. I just thought I might go with you to get something to eat." He paused to glance at her out of the corner of his eye. "Are you hungry?"

A wide smile spread across her face. "Starving!" she chirped brightly. "Where are we going?"

He unbent enough to face her. "Wherever you want." He looked nervous now. Souta, watching the byplay from his spot on the floor, grinned.

"Hey, can I come too?" he asked innocently.

"NO!" was his simultaneous answer from both of them.

He sniffed in mock offense. "Fine, have fun on your _date_."

He got up, still grinning, and took himself upstairs after turning off the TV. The two of them headed for the entranceway, carefully not looking at each other; as Kagome reached for her shoes, she murmured, "Inuyasha, you're going to have to wear something on your feet. Most restaurants don't allow people in barefoot."

"Keh, I know that. I'm wearing these." He indicated a pair of straw sandals that he was slipping on, a little awkwardly. _I see my mother's hand in this,_ she thought in amusement. _She actually got him to wear shoes!_

She peeked at him again, admiringly, as they left the house. Unlike his voluminous fire-rat outfit, the modern clothes, though by no means tight, still defined his lean, wiry form nicely. _Those clothes definitely look good on him. But something's different besides what he's wearing…_

"Where's Tessaiga?" she whispered, as soon as she realized what it was that seemed amiss. _Not that I think he'll need to use it, but he should have it with him at all times…_

He nodded to a strap over his shoulder that she hadn't noticed before. A long kendo bag was slung across his back; it would be completely unremarkable on the street. "Your mother said it's illegal to carry swords openly in this realm, not that I care, and got me the bag." He shrugged. "If I need Tessaiga I can grab it easily, and this way no assholes will bother me about it."

"Hm." As they moved across the courtyard to the torii and the steps to the street below, Kagome noticed her grandfather glance at them from the shrine, where he appeared to be in conversation with several people; he looked dyspeptic about something. Shrugging to herself, she waved and continued on. Inuyasha was silent until they reached the street.

"Well, wench, what did you want to eat? There's a good ramen shop up this way…" He started tugging her by the arm in the indicated direction.

She planted her feet like a mule. "Oh, no. I've had plenty of ramen in the last three years, thanks. You said we could eat what _I_ wanted today. Right?"

He sighed and stopped pulling. "Right. So what the hell do you want? That 'WacDonalds' place you've talked about?"

"No way. I've had enough of that too. Let's get some sushi. I know a great place…" This time she pulled him, in the opposite direction, and after a show of reluctance and a little complaining, he went willingly enough.

The sushi was good, as she knew it would be; she knew Inuyasha hadn't had it often, and he ate enthusiastically. After the last roll was gone (she let him have it after a short squabble) and the platter was scoured for the last bit of sashimi, an awkward silence descended between them.

Inuyasha cleared his throat. "So, how did your tests go today?" he asked, rather grudgingly.

_He's really making an effort, isn't he?_ she thought wonderingly, and suddenly felt embarrassed for her outburst last night.

"I think I did pretty well. The studying helped a lot." She paused, and offered in a low voice, "I'm sorry about last night."

"Keh. You should be." He scowled and looked away.

_Okay, so now he's being difficult._ She gave a mental sigh, and asked, "Alright, how can I make it up to you?"

"No studying until we find those fucking papers. I've done my part, you have to do some looking too."

"I can't promise no studying, Inuyasha." Before he could do more than turn his head and glare, she said, "I don't know how long it'll take, or even if we'll find them. However," she held up a hand as he opened his mouth, "I promise I'll spend the rest of this weekend. How's that?"

He looked a bit mollified. "We'd better find them, then."

She nodded. "We'd better get back to the shrine. We've got lots of the afternoon left." She began to rise, and was surprised when he put a hand on her arm. She looked at him questioningly as she sat back down.

"Uh, we don't have to get back right away. There's a shitload of people at the shrine right now. Why don't we walk around a little before going back?" He posed the question calmly, but it still seemed strange. _I thought he was in a hurry!_

"I thought you wanted to look, but okay." She looked at him, eyebrows raised skeptically. "So where do you want to walk?"

"I don't know, wench. Around here. Aren't there any _historically important_ places or some shit like that near that we can look at?" Miroku had been big on local history, and had frequently annoyed Inuyasha by insisting on detours to spiritual sites. At least ones where he thought he might be able to pull scams on pilgrims, anyway. Why would Inuyasha want to go to something like that now? She stared hard at him, and was rewarded by some indication that he was getting uncomfortable; he didn't meet her eyes and squirmed a bit in his seat.

"And you want to see these places why?"

"Look, let's just go for a fucking walk, okay?" He stood up abruptly. She rose also, and opening her purse, began to dig for money to pay for the meal. Inuyasha then seemed to remember something; he reached into his pocket and pulled out a wad of crumpled bills, and stared at them a moment before thrusting them at Kagome. "I don't know how this paper shit replaced real money. How much of this should I give this guy?" He jerked his head at the counterman who looked over at them, curious.

"Uh…" Startled, she took the money from him and counted out the appropriate amount as he watched. "Where'd this come from, Inuyasha?" she asked as she left it on the table, and started to hand him back the rest.

"You hold on to it." She shrugged and put the money in her handbag, looking at him questioningly. "It's for working at the shrine," he muttered, not looking at her, and started walking for the door. _Huh. I thought Jii-chan would still have him working off the cost of all the stuff he's broken over the years. Well, I guess part of it has been my fault, for sitting him…_With a faint blush at the memory (and forgetting about her destroyed bike), she joined him outside the shop and they paused on the sidewalk; she looked up and down the street, thinking. _Okay, places of interest we can walk to._ Nothing came to mind immediately; she looked up at him.

"Anything in particular? Shrines, monuments, parks, what?"

He seemed to seize on her statement. "Shrines. There's an Inari shrine not too far from here, right?"

"Yeah, the Tokozawa shrine. It's not too far. The head priest there is a friend of Jii-chan's." She put her hands on her hips as she faced him. "So spill. What's going on?"

"Shit, you ask a lot of questions," he grumbled. "Nothing's going on. We can't take a damn walk for a while? Which way is it, woman?"

Giving him a sharp look, she acquiesced and began walking in the right direction to reach the shrine in question. She figured it would take about twenty minutes to get there if she remembered right; they walked in silence for a while, and she began to regain the good mood she'd had earlier. It was really a pretty day, cloudless, with a deep blue sky. The air was crisp and bright; she breathed it in, and felt a little disappointed. The cleanliness she had gotten used to on the other side of the well had spoiled her. If she had not experienced the air in the feudal age she would have said that it smelled great. _I wonder how much worse it is for him, with his sense of smell._ She looked over at him, and caught him gazing at her, with what looked like an uncertain expression. He started a little and twitched his gaze forward, but then glanced back at her, and with an air of resolve he reached for her hand.

His hand was warm and dry; it closed carefully but firmly around her smaller one. As she had before, she marveled at how such a hard, calloused hand could convey such strength and yet enfold so gently. His action at first surprised her, but she recovered and pressed his hand back, with a small grin. He actually gave a relieved, small smile in answer, and looked away again. He was maneuvering them carefully through the foot traffic on the sidewalk, his eyes flicking watchfully around at their surroundings.

Kagome was thoroughly enjoying their walk now, but she was also burning with curiosity. A lunch date, a walk afterward…he was holding her hand… "So, Inuyasha. Is there a reason we're going to see this shrine?"

He shrugged. "Not really. I've been going out at night to check out the territory; when I passed by here a few nights ago I noticed there were a bunch of kitsune at this shrine."

She suddenly felt excited. "And you think Shippou might be there?" He shook his head, to her disappointment.

"No, I think I would have caught his scent if he'd been there. I was just thinking that maybe the foxes here might know something about him."

She frowned. "Inuyasha, I've been to this shrine a bunch of times and never saw any kitsune. Do you think they'll talk to us?"

He shrugged again, with a little grin. "They'd better."

Inuyasha and Kagome were soon in sight of the Tokozawa shrine, located across a busy street. A series of bright red torii framing a short run of steps marked the entrance, and just at the top they could see the komainu, guardian statues, in this case foxes. There were a few people coming and going through the entrance. Inuyasha sniffed and frowned slightly. "Huh. There's only one out there today." Kagome mentally shrugged at the non sequitur, and maneuvered them across the street when the pedestrian light went on.

Shortly, they were crossing under the first torii; Kagome's senses prickled at the way street noise seemed to fade immediately. She didn't remember this ever happening on any previous visits here. Had she just not noticed? She maintained a good grip on Inuyasha's hand as they ascended the stairs. His expression was sharp and intent, and she imagined his ears pointed aggressively forward under his cap. Clearing the last step, they stopped in front of one of the statues. It seemed the same as she remembered it: grey stone, one paw raised, on a pedestal about even with her chin. However, Kagome was surprised to detect youki coming from it; it was definitely _not_ made of stone, the way the other one opposite seemed to be, but it was just as still and unmoving. Nervous, she tried to look casual while several people passed by. Inuyasha wasn't helping— he was staring fixedly at it.

Finally, after the last person had passed and there were none in sight, Inuyasha said in a low voice, "Hey. Got a minute?" He continued staring. It didn't move.

Kagome started when the fox's stone mouth suddenly moved and a harsh, biting voice emerged. "I'm on duty. Beat it."

TBC

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A/N:

_Tadaima_ – "I'm home"

_Okaeri_ – "Welcome home"


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: Inuyasha and associated characters are the property of Rumiko Takahashi.

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**Chapter 5**

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Inuyasha stared, annoyed, at the fox statue-that-was-not-a-statue. It had returned to its previous stillness and silence. Beside him, Kagome gaped. He stepped up closer and stared it in the face.

"What the hell do you mean, 'on duty'? I asked you if you had a minute, asshole." Kagome moved up next to him, having recovered her aplomb.

"Eh, let's go on, Inuyasha. He's obviously _busy_." She gave the fox a glare, and then turned to Inuyasha and put a hand on his arm. "I'm sure we'll find someone to talk to inside."

"He can't go in there." The fox spoke again, but this time he was looking down at them solemnly.

"Why can't I, shithead? You got a problem?" Inuyasha bristled.

"See the sign? No dogs allowed." It was amazing how much expression the stone face could convey, but it was clearly smirking now at its own witticism.

_Damn snotty kitsune. _Abruptly he hopped up onto the pedestal next to the fox, and administered a punch on the head. It thunked satisfyingly like a head and not like a rock.

"Ow! Bastard!" it yelped, and jumped down to the ground. It stood there on two legs, rubbing its head with one paw, and glared angrily at him. "What the hell was that for?"

Inuyasha jumped down lightly between the kitsune and Kagome. It seemed to be getting bigger, and looked decidedly unfriendly now. "For that shitty joke, moron. Now, can I find a fox with a brain around here, or are they all as stupid as you?" He heard Kagome sigh behind him.

"That's it. I think you'd better leave now." Swiftly it transformed; it still looked like a stone statue, but now appeared to be three times the size he had been a second ago. He towered menacingly over Inuyasha, bringing his head down to stare him in the face.

"I said leave."

"Make me." Inuyasha casually thumped him on the head with his fist again, his expression set at his most annoyingly insouciant.

"Dammit!" The fox changed shape again. This time he appeared as a giant three-tailed fox, twenty feet tall, and glowed with foxfire. He opened his jaws to reveal sharp teeth, and growled. Kagome stepped back involuntarily, appalled. Inuyasha glanced back at her. Yeah, his breath was pretty bad, but she couldn't think this was real, could she?

"Oi, Kagome, don't be fooled. It's just a stupid kitsune trick." _Just as fake as that stupid giant bubble Shippou used to transform into, with about as much hot air._ It was going to be fun, slapping the jerk down to size--

They were startled by a shriek from the direction of the shrine. "YASEI! What are you _doing!_" The kitsune flinched, looking over his shoulder. A woman was approaching at a trot, and she looked angry. "You change _right now_ before someone sees you!"

With a pop, the kitsune transformed into what looked like a red-haired boy in his middle teens, except he was no human, as he had a youkai's pointed ears. He was dressed like some of the delinquent kids the hanyou had seen around the city; his t-shirt was torn and he was wearing eye-blindingly lurid purple pants. He looked sullen. "Hanae-san," he acknowledged the woman as she reached them, and then turned back to watch Inuyasha suspiciously.

It was obvious from her scent that the woman was not human; the youki she emitted was considerable, especially compared to the fox-boy at her side. The kimono she wore, beautifully made and figured with flowering ume branches, looked expensive. She gave off a matronly air, though she looked young. Certainly it didn't look like the kid was going to give her any back-talk. After giving the boy a repressive glare, she turned her sharp gaze to the two before her.

"Now, what is the problem here?"

Kagome opened her mouth to reply, but the boy jumped in immediately. "Hanae-san, I thought this hanyou might be trouble, and told him to leave, but he wouldn't! And he hit me too!" He gestured at the rising lump on his head and glowered fiercely at Inuyasha from her shoulder.

"Um, Hanae-san." Kagome bowed to the woman, who shifted her suspicious scrutiny from Inuyasha to her. "We didn't come here to make trouble. We just wanted to ask about a friend of ours. We can leave if that's what you want."

"Hold on there, woman," Inuyasha said, exasperated. "We're not leaving till we find out if they know anything." Kagome gave him a look that said _shut up, idiot_ as clearly as if she had said it aloud, but he frowned back at her stubbornly. "How about it, eh?" he addressed the fox-woman.

Hanae's expression, while still stern, was thoughtful as she regarded them. "Why would you think we'd know your friend?"

"He was a kitsune we knew," she started eagerly. "His name is Shippou, and he would have lived near here a long time ago. We don't know where he is now, and we were hoping someone here could tell us."

The vixen raised her eyebrows. "That name is not familiar to me, and I've been here since the end of the revolution. How long ago did he live here? And where did you know him?"

"Um…we knew him here, about four hundred and fifty years ago. He was just a kit then." She glanced up diffidently at the woman, who was now staring at them incredulously. "It's a little complicated…" she faltered.

"You're too young, that goes without saying, but so is the hanyou." Her tone was definite. "How would you know of someone from so long ago?" Behind her, the boy had been fidgeting, but his hostile posture had faded and he looked curious.

"I told you it was complicated," Kagome said faintly. "It's kind of a long story…"

She studied them for a long moment, arms crossed and a finger on her chin; then with a nod of her head, Hanae seemed to come to some decision. "Well. This courtyard is not the place to be listening to long stories, I don't think. Why don't you two come with me, and we'll talk to Ogin-sama. She has a long memory." Turning to the boy, who was gaping at her, she said, "Yasei, why don't you get back to guard duty."

He squawked in protest. "You're going to take _him_ in to see Ogin-sama?"

She gave him a long, quelling stare. "I think I can handle them, Yasei." She ignored Inuyasha's indignant _keh_, and continued, "Now, I said get back to your post. Hop to it, boy." He nodded stiffly, then turned to them, a scowl on his sharp, narrow face.

Baring his teeth at Inuyasha in a fierce grimace, he said "You'd better be polite, jerkface." With that, he leaped onto the pedestal, transforming in midair back to a stone statue, and resumed his previous position, though his expression wasn't as impassive as it had been before.

Hanae sighed, then turned and began leading them toward the shrine. Inuyasha turned around briefly to smirk at the surly punk, and then followed the vixen and Kagome. He kept a close eye on the surroundings, though he really didn't see anything suspicious; it really looked like an ordinary Inari shrine. The courtyard was of raked white gravel, and ahead of them was the usual basin for purification, and after that was the main shrine hall; there were some smaller buildings around the periphery. The woman led them toward the first one on the right, a small wooden structure which appeared to be a mini-shrine, and stopped before the steps to turn back to them.

"What are your names?"

"Higurashi Kagome, and this is Inuyasha, Hanae-san."

"Higurashi, eh? Any connection to the shrine family?"

"The head priest there is my grandfather."

"Interesting." She looked like she was trying to remember something, and seemingly gave up with a shrug. "I am going to ask if Ogin-sama can see you now. Wait here." She disappeared through the doorway into darkness, leaving them outside.

"Not much of a place they got here," said Inuyasha dismissively, after surveying the exterior of the small building. "You'd think they'd get something bigger to stay in if they were so tight with the boss." He wondered what could be taking so long; the building was quite small, and it struck him that he heard nothing inside at all.

Kagome had been looking about idly as the minutes stretched. "Inuyasha, be nice. Maybe this is just an office or something." He thought she wasn't impressed with the mini-shrine either, though. He couldn't see any large buildings other than the main hall nearby; certainly nothing suited to be the dwelling of someone seemingly as important as this Ogin-sama. The rest of the shrine was busy and well-kept. He scanned the courtyard for any other youkai, but there only seemed to be humans out in front. With a jolt, he noticed a girl dressed as a miko who was sitting behind the counter of a small kiosk on the far side of the main shrine. Warily, he looked closer, and saw that she was quite young, younger than Kagome. She looked bored, and was fiddling with the charms and talismans displayed for sale in the kiosk. She seemed to take no notice of him, and he relaxed minutely. _Good, no trouble there. She doesn't look like she could spot a youkai if one bit her in the ass._

"Ogin-sama will see you." Inuyasha jerked his attention back to the doorway, to see Hanae standing in front of them. She was impassive save for what might have been the tiniest quirk of her lips. Kagome was also looking at him, wearing a tiny frown, before she turned to the vixen. _What the hell is the problem now? _"You are a miko, are you not, girl?" Hanae addressed Kagome.

Kagome shot her a look. "Sort of…" she replied cautiously.

"Well, see if you can keep your hanyou friend out of trouble." Her tone was decidedly amused, and with a wave she gestured them to follow her into the building. Inuyasha stomped up to the doorway after her, feeling annoyed.

"Who the hell does she think she is?" he grumped, but he followed without further comment when neither woman paid attention to him. After taking off her shoes (and nagging Inuyasha to do the same with his sandals) Kagome was glancing about her curiously as they passed into the semi-darkness of the shrine. The building appeared quite old; it was unfurnished save for the inner sanctuary, the tray holding food offerings in front of it, and some candles, currently unlit. The inner sanctuary directly in front of them was a carved cabinet with double doors, inlaid with patterns of foxes. There was no one and nothing else in the small room, but something seemed to be bothering Kagome about that right wall. Inuyasha didn't smell anything out of the ordinary; the scent of fox was heavy in the room, but that was to be expected. The right wall looked exactly the same as the left, as far as he could tell. Kagome was staring hard at it as Hanae bowed to the sanctuary; the woman then turned to that same right wall, and gestured. He tensed and Kagome gasped as the glowing outline of a double doorway appeared, taking up most of the wall; Inuyasha stepped in front of her protectively as the doors began to open.

_How the hell can there be a door there! There's nothing on the other side but the courtyard!_

Hanae indicated for them to follow, smiling, and went through the door. Inuyasha peered into the opening; stairs led down into darkness relieved only by the dim flickering of oil lamps.

Every instinct Inuyasha had warned him about going down a hole, with no idea who or what was down there or if there was another exit. He caught Kagome's uncertain glance at him, and weighed the danger; it couldn't be that bad, could it? After all, they were just kitsune. He could take 'em. With a nod to her, he led her to the doorway and the steps below. As they descended, the doors closed behind them silently. Kagome started and gripped his arm nervously. He paused for a moment to look back; the doors were still there, so he could always punch his way out if necessary. Plus, he had Tessaiga. A good _Kaze no Kizu_ would definitely take care of anything blocking their way. He gave her hand on his arm a reassuring touch, and they resumed going down after Hanae. Ahead, Inuyasha could see the bottom of the stairs and more lamps; he could smell a _lot_ of kitsune down there now, but it was a mixed smell – there were kits down here as well as adults, male and female, some powerful. This was a den.

Kagome cleared her throat. "Excuse me, Hanae-san. How is it possible that those doors are there? And where are we going?"

The woman chuckled and looked over her shoulder. "The doors are a kitsune talent, girl, though priests and onmyoji and the like are able to make something similar. It's good concealment for where we live."

"But I saw the outside of that building. There's no way these stairs could be here, concealed or not," Kagome argued.

"That's because this side of the doors and the other side of the doors are not in the same place," the vixen said smiling, and returned her attention to where they were going. "And we're going to see Ogin-sama, who leads this community of kitsune. Please be mindful that there may be children sleeping, and keep your voices down." Kagome looked like she was thinking hard, and stumbled a bit at the bottom of the steps.

"Oi, pay attention, woman," Inuyasha warned in a low voice. He couldn't make heads or tails of what the vixen had just told them about the doors, and he didn't care, but he wanted Kagome alert in case of trouble. The hallway had a wooden floor covered with tatami, and the walls were constructed of wood and split bamboo; it was aged but in good shape, as far as he could tell. They passed door after door; most of them were closed, and he could hear voices behind them. Hanae led them through a number of turns and intersections; the complex was beginning to seem more like a rabbit warren, but Inuyasha was confident that he'd be able to follow their own scents back to the doors, even if her intention was to disorient them. He was starting to get impatient, though.

Abruptly she turned a corner and stopped. There were two male kitsune standing guard in front of a set of double doors; these were solid wood and carved in a foreign style. The guards stood at attention, holding halberds, and stared at Inuyasha and Kagome.

"It's all right," Hanae said to the two kitsune. "They are expected." With a flourish they opened the doors, though they eyed their visitors with speculation, and Hanae swept in. Inuyasha and Kagome followed a bit more cautiously. They found themselves in what appeared to be an anteroom of some kind; it looked comfortable, with cushions for sitting scattered about the edges of the room. Wall scrolls displaying fine calligraphy adorned several of the walls. A young girl was standing at attention in front of a shoji; she had a foxtail much like Shippou's. The girl smiled when she saw Hanae.

"Ogin-sama is ready to see them, mother." The girl slid aside the shoji to reveal yet another room, this one well-lit by candles.

As they passed her, Hanae smiled and whispered, "Good girl. Now go fetch us some tea, please." The girl nodded, and drew the shoji closed again after they passed.

Inuyasha and Kagome found themselves in a very well-appointed room. It was spacious, with good quality tatami matting on the floor; like the other room, there were cushions on the floor for seating, and art hung on the walls. Fresh flowers stood in a vase in the alcove to one side. Before them, on a low raised platform, sat a woman dressed in layers of kimono in the Heian style. She had floor length silvery white hair, not unlike his own; she did not appear old, her face being smooth and unlined. However, something about her regard of them, a slight ironic twist to her expression, made it clear she was not young. In any event her scent and the tremendous aura of youki she exuded indicated to Inuyasha that they were probably facing a kitsune of immense age, experience, and power. She nodded to them in greeting. Kagome gulped and bowed, while Inuyasha sized the kitsune up.

"Ogin-sama, this is Higurashi Kagome, of the Higurashi Shrine, and her companion Inuyasha, a hanyou," Hanae announced them, and indicated they should sit on the cushions in front of the elder kitsune. Kagome and Inuyasha seated themselves, she carefully and he warily, not taking his eyes off the lady. Hanae sat off on the right side.

"Hanae tells me," Ogin-sama began in a melodious voice, "that you are seeking a kitsune. What can you tell me about him?"

"Well, my lady," Kagome said hesitantly, "his name is Shippou. He was a child when we last saw him in this area, about four hundred and fifty years ago. We have not seen him since."

The lady raised a silver eyebrow. "And how is it that the two of you were around, nearly half a millennium ago? It _might_ be possible for your companion, perhaps if he was sealed or suchlike, but he is obviously still young." Kagome shot a startled glance at him. _What? Did she think I was so old?_ He frowned back at her, then looked back at the kitsune.

"I'm from that time, but I skipped all the years in between. Kagome is from this time, but she ended up back then for a while." The lady regarded him for a moment from half-lidded eyes. He half expected her to call them liars or fools, and throw them out.

"You know, I do seem to remember hearing about you then, Inuyasha Who Seeks the Shikon no Tama." Kagome sat up straight, and looked a little nervous. "I had heard the tales that you were associated with a miko. But the stories conflicted. Some of them said she died." Now she was looking at Kagome. "Was it then that the stories were wrong?"

_Dammit, I don't want to go into this._ He slid a look at Kagome, but she was looking forthrightly back at the kitsune.

"They were both right, Ogin-sama. But before we tell you more, can you say if you know of our friend Shippou? We…we miss him greatly." Kagome's voice shook slightly on the last.

The lady gave her a compassionate look. "I'm sorry, child. I had heard tell of a fox kit in with the group that hunted Naraku, but I never heard his name. And I have not known a kitsune named Shippou to be in this area since I moved to this shrine during the Tokugawa era."

Kagome blinked and looked down. Inuyasha cursed under his breath, she was crying, he knew she was. "Kagome –"

"I'm fine, Inuyasha." She looked back up, swallowing, and while her eyelashes were wet, no tears tracked down her face. "Maybe he changed his name? Or, maybe left descendants? Ogin-sama, do you know if there was a community of kitsune near where the Higurashi Shrine is?"

The lady sat back a bit in thought. At this point the young fox girl came back, carrying two trays of tea things, and busied herself with setting some before Ogin-sama. The elder said meditatively, "I don't recall that there was much of a presence here, actually. A few wanderers here and there, perhaps, but not really any sort of community. Nothing near the Higurashi Shrine, I don't think. Though there was that nasty bit of business – Hanae, do you remember tales of that one nine-tailed vixen who came in search of the Shikon no Tama, well after it was gone?"

"Yes, my lady. I heard at the time that she was either sealed or destroyed, not sure which, somewhere in the area. Fancied herself another Tamamo-no-mae, I think. No luck with getting in with the Emperor, so she thought to seek the Shikon herself. Mean one." Hanae accepted a cup of tea from her daughter, who approached Kagome shyly next, and set a tray down between her and Inuyasha that held a pot and two cups. The girl poured them each a cupful and retreated to her mother's side, where she sat quietly without fidgeting.

Kagome picked up a cup and sipped, looking at Hanae with interest. Inuyasha was relieved that she showed no sign of crying now, and picked up the other cup, sniffing it first before taking a sip. "Hanae-san, when was this evil kitsune around, and who dealt with it, do you know?" Kagome asked.

"Well, the affair took place before Nobunaga's wars, if I remember right. That ties in neatly with the Shikon, doesn't it? I had heard it was a powerful Buddhist priest took care of her, but beyond that I don't know much."

"She was sealed, I think," said the lady. "I heard the peasants avoided the place for years, though no one seems to know the exact location now. Strange, because there are very few places in the greater Tokyo area that you would think could still be so obscure." She drained her cup, and set it down with a sigh. "I suppose we'd find out quickly enough if she was ever released." The fox-girl scrambled up to pour a fresh cup of tea for Ogin-sama, who thanked her with a smile. "Well, my little miko, I hope we have put you at ease with this other talk. I do not demand that you tell me, but I would very much like to hear your long story." She fluttered her lashes and smiled ingenuously. "If nothing else, your association with a kitsune should have acquainted you with our curious natures."

Inuyasha snorted, thinking of Shippou's curiosity forever getting him in trouble, but Kagome smiled back. "All right, Ogin-sama, but it is a long and complicated story. It began on my fifteenth birthday…" Kagome told them the basic story of their adventures, up to the destruction of Naraku and the closing of the well. She was remarkably composed about it all, he thought.

Hanae seemed a bit startled at some of the details, but Ogin-sama merely looked interested. "So there _was_ a miko who died. But she died twice. And there was another who lived." She smiled a bit, and gave Kagome a look of respect. "So some of the stories that I thought were hopelessly twisted were actually correct, in part. Well, my dear, you have come through quite a bit, and thus have experience that few other humans of this age can claim. Do you feel yourself trained, or are you in training right now?"

It was Kagome's turn to look startled. "No, my lady. Kaede, the old priestess, was teaching me here and there, but nothing comprehensive. I didn't have time then. I have applied to Kokugakuin University, but I'm not sure I'll pass the entrance exams." She hung her head a bit. "It was hard to study in the feudal age, you see." Both the lady and Hanae laughed, though Inuyasha wasn't sure what was so funny. Didn't she study enough for ten fucking people already? Annoyed, he turned to her.

"We should be getting back, Kagome. We got some searching to do," he reminded her brusquely. She gave him a surprised look, and then with gratifying alacrity she turned to their hostess and began making their apologies for their departure.

"Searching for what, child?" Hanae asked inquisitively, as she got up. Kagome explained that they were hoping to find the hidden treasures of the Higurashi shrine, including any old documents that might shed some light on the fate of their long-ago companions. Hanae cocked her head. "It's a long shot, but remember that business with our front door, girl? You are in a kitsune domain right now, a special pocket of space. I told you that some humans can do the same trick. You might look for signs that there's a hidden room. If you know anything about Daoist magic, look for those kinds of signs." Kagome just looked puzzled, but thanked her. As they stood, Kagome bowed in farewell to the kitsune elder.

"Thank you for seeing us, my lady," she said. Inuyasha nodded at Ogin-sama, a bit impatiently. They'd spent way too much time here, and for nothing. _Wait._ The thought struck him that while she didn't know anything about the runt, she seemed to be pretty connected to the rumor mills…

"I got a question." He looked up at the ancient kitsune. "We had some other youkai we hung out with. Myouga the flea, and Kirara, and Toutousai the swordsmith. Ever hear anything about them?"

Ogin-sama frowned a bit in thought. "I don't know this Kirara, though I've heard of Myouga and Toutousai. I haven't heard anything for a number of years about either of them, though."

"Any idea of where we might look for them, Ogin-sama?" Kagome asked hopefully.

"I had heard that Toutousai liked his privacy, which is a rare commodity these days." She smiled. "I would check Mount Asama, or other active volcanoes. Anything hard to get to."

Well, that wasn't much, but it was something. As they turned to go, the lady said, "If you have any trouble getting into the University, child, come back and call on us. I think our head priest here knows your grandfather, and I'll let him know that you're applying. He could probably be persuaded to write a letter on your behalf." She winked. "They wouldn't ignore a missive from him, you see." She smiled, and bid them goodbye.

Hanae escorted them out; Inuyasha noted that the way out was just as convoluted as the way in, so perhaps she hadn't done it on purpose after all. They exited the den through the same set of doors. Hanae touched Kagome's sleeve to get her attention.

"You see these doors?" The vixen gestured, and the outline of the doors flared. "When they're done by a non-kitsune, they might look like this." They looked the same, except now there was a glowing image of a five-pointed star on each door. "A lot of Daoist magic looks like that. If you have good Sight, and I think you do if you could see pieces of the Shikon Jewel, then I think you'd notice it."

"But Hanae-san," Kagome said doubtfully, "this will have been last opened more than fifty years ago. Might it have gone away? Faded or disappeared?"

"It should still be there," the woman said firmly. "Fifty years is nothing. It's just waiting for the proper person to come along and open it." She gave Kagome a wink. "I'll walk you two to the steps."

They walked out to where Yasei was still sitting at guard duty; he looked at them dourly, but Hanae coaxed a better expression out of him by telling him everything went well. Kagome apologized for their earlier trouble to him.

"What the hell are you apologizing for, Kagome!" Inuyasha exploded. "This is the little shit who was rude to us first!"

Hanae sighed and mumbled something about boys being boys. "Goodbye, you two. Come back again and visit sometime. Yasei, your shift will be over in a bit, I'll send someone out to relieve you." With a wave, she started back to the mini-shrine. As soon as her back was turned Yasei stuck his tongue out at Inuyasha.

"You little --!" Inuyasha began to advance on the kitsune irately.

"Inuyasha." Kagome stopped him cold with that tone of voice.

"WHAT!" he yelled in her face. She closed her eyes.

"Don't make me say it."

"But dammit, he -- oh, forget it. Let's go." With a little smile she waved at Yasei, and moved with a cranky Inuyasha to the steps.

They walked down the steps in silence; as they emerged from under the last torii, the noise of the street hit them full force. "I wonder how they do that," Kagome murmured, as they turned to cross the street and head home.

"I'd like to know too," the hanyou agreed. "This whole city is so damn noisy. It would be nice to get some peace and quiet."

Kagome grinned at him. "I wonder if Yasei knows. Think he'd tell us if we asked nicely?"

Inuyasha stuck his tongue out at her, and they both laughed. Then they reached for each other's hands. Their hearts were light as they walked home, fingers twined, in the growing shadows of late afternoon.

TBC

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A/N- Some definitions:

_Inari_: the Japanese god of rice. Associated closely with foxes, commonly supposed to be his/her messengers.

Vixen: a female fox.

_Onmyoji_: Daoist sorcerors. Prominent in the Imperial Court of the Heian period.


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: Inuyasha and associated characters are the property of Rumiko Takahashi.

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**Chapter 6**

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There were still quite a few visitors at the shrine when Inuyasha and Kagome got back. As they crested the top of the stairs and started towards the house, Kagome noticed that Jii-chan was not in evidence; the stand for selling talismans and souvenirs was closed up. _Odd_. He was usually out here; he rarely missed a chance to bend the ears of anybody who would stay and listen to his lectures on the history of the various features of the shrine. With a mental shrug she dismissed the thought. Maybe he was running an errand or something, or had gone into the house.

Shedding her shoes in the entryway, her called 'tadaima' had no response, though she could hear activity in the kitchen. She headed there while Inuyasha went upstairs, muttering about his clothes. Upon entering the room, she came upon Mama fixing a pot of fragrant herbal tea, her back to the doorway. Her grandfather was neither sitting at the table as she had thought he might be, nor had he been in the living room when she passed it.

"Mama, how come Jii-chan's not out at the shrine?"

She turned around, seemingly a little startled and distracted. "Oh! I'm glad you're back, Kagome. Jii-chan is not feeling well. I was just getting this ready to take to him." She turned back, finished arranging the teapot and cup on the tray in front of her, and picked it up. "Kagome, I'm sorry to ask you this, but do you think you could help with the shrine this afternoon?"

"Help with the shrine this afternoon?" she repeated.

"And tomorrow?" her mother added, a little apologetically.

"Tomorrow too?" Her voice rose, pitched dangerously close to a whine. "What do you mean, help? You know I have to study…" _Am I the only one here who takes my education seriously!_

"Kagome, it's very important that someone is out there, especially on the weekend. I know you have other claims on your time, but if you could just keep the shop open, that would be very useful." She looked at her daughter expectantly, her dark eyes serious.

She suppressed a sigh. _So much for studying AND searching for secret rooms. I should just kiss college goodbye at this rate. _"Um, I guess I could do that." Her shoulders slumped in defeat.

Inuyasha appeared in the doorway, back in his fire-rat outfit. "Oi! But what about --"

"Thank you, Kagome! I'm sure your grandfather will be really relieved. I'll tell him right now while I get him settled. Oh, and please see if the miko clothes fit you." She nodded towards a neat pile of white and vermilion on one of the chairs.

"Miko clothes?"

"For working in the shop. Those were Suki's—remember her? I think she was a bit taller than you. Let me know if the hakama needs to be hemmed up." With that she whisked out of the room.

Kagome and Inuyasha both stared at the clothes for a moment, before Kagome walked over slowly and picked them up. She held the red hakama against her, deciding that the pants would fit without dragging on the ground. Mama must have been misremembering how tall Suki had been, but it had been a long time since they'd had a miko serving here. Kagome had been Souta's age when Suki, a cheerful, smiling girl from a local family in the shrine parish, had assisted Jii-chan by selling charms and talismans, and had danced the kagura at festivals. She had been enthusiastic but not very talented, Kagome had thought. The girl had gone off to college and Jii-chan had not bothered to bring in another miko since.

Inuyasha had gotten a glass and was filling it with water at the sink; he looked at her sideways while she examined the clothes. He didn't say a word, but she felt his reproach at the waste of time, as he undoubtedly regarded her chore.

Kagome took them with her to the bathroom and changed. They fit well; she checked herself in the mirror. It was strange how comfortable she felt in them. As she stared in the mirror she felt a faint twinge as she thought of how much she looked like a certain _other_ miko; firmly she turned away. _Not now._

She took her other clothes and went upstairs to put them in her bedroom. She bound her hair, and came back down to check with her mother about what she would need to do to open the shop.

Inuyasha was sitting at the table when she walked back into the kitchen. He stared at her before seeming to catch himself and look away.

"What?" she asked, feeling suddenly unsettled by his scrutiny.

"Nothing." At that moment Mama came back in. Surveying Kagome, she gave an approving nod.

"Well, they do look a little long, but it doesn't look like I'll need to do anything to the pants. Are you ready?

"I think so, Mama. What do I need to do out there?"

Her mother caught up a set of keys and a large envelope from the counter. "Here are the keys and the change for the shop. All you need to do is open it up and sit behind the counter. All the suggested donations are listed on the sign for the talismans and charms, and the other knickknacks Jii-chan has in there." She handed Kagome the items. "Kagome, I'm sorry to put this on you at such short notice. But we depend on the income from the shop and the offering box, and it's important that we have a presence out there for the ujiko."

Kagome wondered if Inuyasha would accompany her, but he seemed to have made himself comfortable at the table. Feeling annoyed at the sudden turn her day had taken, she took a quick detour to her room and grabbed a schoolbook, and then walked out of the house to the shrine. Opening and setting up the shop was done quickly, and she ensconced herself on a stool behind the rows of items for sale. Maybe she would have time to study while stuck here. Her hope was in vain, as almost immediately she had customers, many of whom were inquiring after her grandfather. He sure knew a lot of people.

She stayed there until sundown, when the last of the visitors left, and collected the money for the day and locked the shop back up. After thinking a moment, she went over to the offering box in front of the shrine and unlocked it with a key on the ring, as she had seen her grandfather do before. There was quite a bit of money in the box. She put it with the shop deposit and tucked the envelope inside her shirt before walking back to the house.

Mama had dinner just about ready; Inuyasha and Souta were watching television in the living room. Souta sat cross-legged, absorbed in whatever it was they were watching; Inuyasha was lounging at his ease on the floor. As she passed the doorway she saw him turn his head and start slightly before jerking his eyes back to the television. She paused, frowning.

"What's with you? You look like you saw a ghost." Almost immediately she realized why, and felt cold. _I'm still wearing the miko outfit. I look like _her. Would Kikyou always make them both flinch, like a bruise, or skin rubbed raw?

Inuyasha seemed to have regained his assurance. "The only thing I see is a slacker who sat around all afternoon." He looked back at her, his eyes staying on her face. "You ready to find those papers after dinner?"

Kagome had forgotten about her promise. "Oh! Sure, as soon as we finish we can go look. I'd better change."

She went upstairs and got into clothes that she wouldn't mind getting dirty. As she folded the white top carefully, she paused to finger the red thread hemming the sleeves. It was curious how comfortable she had felt in the ensemble. She had not liked wearing Kaede's clothes that time; to be sure, these were not stiff and scratchy like the cloth made in the feudal age. But it wasn't just the material; it was what wearing the attire implied. She hadn't thought about her costume all afternoon after donning it. None of the neighbors visiting the shrine had remarked on it. It all seemed so natural now.

_I'm Kagome. Not Kikyou._ She stared at herself in the mirror, tensely, looking for signs of change. Having Kikyou's memories couldn't make her into something she wasn't; she was still the same person. Wasn't she? Her own face stared back at her solemnly; _her_ face, not Kikyou's. Even when serious, her face could not match the stillness or melancholy of her previous incarnation's. Kagome smiled at her reflection in relief. Kikyou had rarely smiled, and when she did it had been thinned by the burden of responsibilities she bore.

_She never could look at the bright side of things_, Kagome thought. She knew she was being a bit flip but at the moment, she didn't care. Feeling reassured, she exited the room and bounced down the stairs to see what was for dinner.

Dinner was unremarkable, except for Jii-chan's absence; he was still in bed. Apparently he had come down with some sort of stomach flu. Inuyasha displayed none of his earlier apprehension, completely absorbed in slurping his soba noodles. Loudly.

"Where are you going to check, neechan?" asked Souta, inhaling his own noodles.

"I'm not sure. I think I've checked all of the buildings. Maybe we can search more of the wooded areas around the shrine?" She looked her question at Inuyasha, who shrugged.

"In the _dark?_" Mama was taken aback.

"You haven't checked the well-house yet," pointed out Souta.

"Souta, we've been through that well a thousand times. I think I would have noticed by now if there was something strange in there," she retorted.

Souta shrugged, but looked stubborn. "I'm just saying you haven't looked there _specifically._"

She sighed. "I guess we might as well. Inuyasha?"

_Slurp._ "Sure."

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Kagome stared down into the darkness of the well house; Inuyasha was just behind her. She could sense his impatience. There was something about the void down there that creeped her out. A giant centipede had come through the well, as had monstrous, grasping strands of hair. In the dark, it wasn't the familiar and comforting link between this life and the other she had given so much to for so long.

"What are you waiting for? Let's go," growled the edgy hanyou at her shoulder. With a sigh, she flipped the switch beside the door to turn on the weak light of a single bulb suspended over the stairs. Carefully she made her way down and paused at the bottom to survey the room. Nothing had changed since the last time she had been in here. Determinedly she began to study the room, foot by foot, as if she had never been here before. Inuyasha took the other side of the stairs and poked through the odds and ends perfunctorily.

After about an hour Kagome sat down on the bottom step, next to Inuyasha who had been sitting and watching her for the last twenty minutes.

"Nothing," she said dejectedly.

"At least we looked, eh?" He got up and stretched. "In all this time, did you notice anything from the well?"

"No. Not a bit." She pushed herself back up, and stepped over to the lip of the well. She leaned over to look into its depths. The smell of earth and the faint mustiness of wood rot wafted up; no breath of magic came to her senses. She leaned back, keeping contact with the worn boards for a moment longer, before turning to go towards the stairs. Inuyasha was waiting for her at the top.

"Want to go around the outside of the building too?" he asked as she slid the doors shut. Mindful of how the door to the kitsune domain had seemed to exist only on one side of a wall, she nodded.

"I'm going to need a flashlight, though. It's dark back there." Inuyasha put a hand on her arm before she had taken a step, and she saw a small grin on his face as he produced a flashlight out of his haori.

"Already thought of that. Weak human," he handed it to her.

She raised an eyebrow as she took it. "Didn't it occur to you that I could have used that in the well house? It was pretty dim in there."

"Keh. It wasn't like there was anything in there to find."

"Inuyasha! Then why'd we go in there in the first place?" He merely snorted in response, and started off around the corner, lightly jumping over the small picket fence that blocked access to the area behind the building. She smiled despite herself, glad that he seemed to be in a better mood, and followed him around to the side of the well house after easily clambering over the low fence.

The building backed up to a small bluff that rose a few steep feet before following the gentler slope of the hill that protected the back of the shrine. Kagome checked the rough, splintery wall around the right corner; she had to push her way through some bushes to make sure she was being thorough. She was feeling rather dispirited about their prospects here, though. It had been a long day, and she was contemplating just giving up until tomorrow's daylight. Playing the beam along the wall, she approached the back corner, her steps muffled by the deep deposit of pine needles that accumulated on the ground back here. The resinous smell of the trees on the slope above was strong and pleasant. She just had seen Inuyasha's red sleeve disappear around the back corner when she heard him exclaim suddenly, "Hey! Kagome!" He then yelped and cursed.

She hurried forward instantly. "Are you all right? Did you find something?" Turning the corner, she found him staring at his fist, brows lowered angrily, and then at the nearly vertical bluff. He was standing on the rubble at the bottom of it where it piled loosely against the back of the well house. She paused for a moment, the flashlight aimed at his hand; she saw no damage, and quickly turned it to the bluff. Under a shallow overhang hung a small wooden plaque, weathered and aged, some writing still discernable on it; it resembled some of the talismans they sold in the shop, but was a bit larger. More pressingly, the beam from her flashlight pierced a very faint, bluish glow of a magical barrier that appeared to overlay the talisman like mist.

Slowly she approached the spot, coming to stand next to Inuyasha, her eyes not leaving the talisman. She stood silently next to him for a moment, studying the small, rough alcove in the bluff face; abruptly she shut off the light. The dim blue glow remained to her eyes; it covered an area approximately five feet high and three feet wide.

"Shit. Think this is it, Kagome?"

"Maybe." How could something like this have been here since her great-grandfather's time without being discovered? If this was the hiding place they were looking for, that is. She turned the flashlight back on and turned to him. He was rubbing his hand absently as he looked at the talisman. "What happened to your hand?"

"Nothing." He allowed her to take it and turn it gently before pulling it back; it bore no mark, so she let him. "Whoever set this didn't want youkai getting into it, looks like."

"Did it burn you?"

"Eh. It would take more than that to hurt me."

It probably did hurt him, she thought. She reached out, experimentally, towards the talisman. Inches from it her hand encountered an inflexible wall. It didn't burn, but felt solid. She ran her hand along it to where the edge seemed to fade into the dirt of the bluff; she tried digging her fingers into the earth, but the barrier seemed to be there, smoothly impenetrable, curving away into the solidity of the escarpment. She took a step back and surveyed the alcove, her left hand on her hip, her right holding the light on it. She squinted at the earthen bank that was behind the barrier; it seemed to waver. Was it an illusion? Hard to tell with the barrier in front of it. At any rate, it didn't seem to be anything like the kitsune's door.

"Hm."

Inuyasha had leaned against the wall of the well house behind them, arms crossed. "Well?"

"Well what?"

"Can you get it open?" His voice was impatient, but when she turned to him she could see the keen interest in his expression as he looked to the barrier and then back to her.

"Um." She stepped forward again, and focused her attention on the talisman. Clearly the barrier had not stopped the effects of weather and time; there were cracks in the wood, and as she had already noticed, the writing was faded despite the protection afforded by the overhang. She peered at it closely. What writing she _could_ make out seemed to indicate that it was a talisman of protection; the phrases that she could read weren't familiar.

She thought for a moment. She couldn't remember this being much of a problem in the past; she'd always seemed to walk right through most barriers that had stopped others. She touched it again, concentrating on the thought that it would drop. For several minutes she stood there with her hand pressed against the almost invisible barrier; it flared weakly around the outline of her hand, but remained obstinately blocking her.

She inhaled sharply through her nose, and tried visualizing the barrier disappearing, her hand passing through to touch the talisman.

Nothing.

Behind her, she could hear Inuyasha shifting. Distractedly she wished he would just go sit down somewhere and let her think. She took a deep, slow breath, closed her eyes, tried to tune out his presence, and allowed herself to drift down into a deeper layer of memories than those she knew to be hers. Kikyou's memories. She shuddered a bit. Down, through the sharp-edged thoughts of the risen Kikyou, down to the memories of the living miko who had been; she knew how to put up barriers, true enough, and to take down those made by demons like Naraku; how to overpower and ignore those set by selfish, weak willed rivals like Tsubaki.

But whoever had set this was not weak willed. The technique used was different as well. There was no dark taint to it. If only she could make out what the writing was --

"Come on, wench. You can do this. What's taking so long?" The harsh voice startled her out of the clinical, nearly alien thoughts, into opening her eyes. "I'm gonna try Tessaiga on it if you don't hurry up." She rounded on him angrily.

"What is your problem? I'm trying!"

"You're just standing there. What are you doing?"

"I'm going through Kikyou's memories to see if she would have known what to do with this," she snapped.

Inuyasha stared at her, frozen.

She turned back to the barrier, and continued peevishly, "And you know what? She wouldn't have had a clue. Now will you back off and let me think?" She waited impatiently for the expected outburst as she studied the plaque; after several minutes of silence, she heard him thump to the ground. She turned to look at him. He was sitting in the dirt, looking down.

"Inuyasha?" He didn't look up. She began to feel a little alarmed. "Inuyasha, you knew about it, didn't you?" She knelt down in front of him, looking worriedly into his face, and touched his arm. "I told Miroku what happened, that night. I thought you were there."

"No, I wasn't there that night." He swallowed. "I heard them talking, later…" he looked at her hand on her arm, and then up at her face, "…and I guessed. But I didn't _know._"

She stared into his eyes, eyes that gleamed in the indirect beam of the flashlight that she had set on the ground. She saw old pain in those eyes.

"You know everything she knew, don't you?" he whispered.

She withdrew her hand from his arm and looked away, unable to bear his gaze. "Sort of," she whispered. She felt cold suddenly, and hugged herself against the chill.

"Why didn't she try to live?"

Kagome could sense what he wasn't saying. _Why didn't she let him save her? Why would she let him fail again? _"She thought about it for a while. Before Mount Hakurei. She thought she had a chance to live as a simple priestess." She paused, and looked at him steadily. "But in the end, she only cared about her killer, Inuyasha. Time had frozen for her. She wasn't the woman you knew."

He stared at her silently for a moment. A light gust of wind blew through the trees above them, sending a few pine needles spearing down to land beside them noiselessly. In the distance she could hear the resonant tinkle of wind chimes. "And what about you now, Kagome?" Now it was he who reached out to touch her arm, tentatively. "She made you have those memories, didn't she?" His hand was warm; she unwound her arms from herself in response, and he took one of her hands in both of his. Kagome looked down at them.

"She thought I should know what to do, in case something went wrong," she whispered, with a wry smile. "She didn't ask me first if I liked the idea."

Inuyasha peered tensely into her face. "Dammit, did she hurt you? Are you still the same?" She looked back, seeing his worry, his concern. For _her_ now. Not Kikyou.

"I am Kagome. Ka Go Me." She smiled weakly. "Didn't I tell you that already?"

His eyes searched her face for a moment before he smiled back. His hands tightened, just a bit, on hers; the moment stretched. He leaned forward slightly, his eyelids half lowered.

She felt her breath quicken. Was he going to kiss her? She felt her own eyes closing as she leaned forward also.

Another gust of wind, stronger this time, showered them with more pine needles and a scattering of cold rain drops, jerking Kagome into alertness. With an exclamation she drew back, eyes wide.

"Inuyasha, we've got to get inside. It's about to rain." She got to her feet, but not before witnessing the disgruntled expression on his face. She gave him a little grin.

"Come on, we can't do anything here tonight. I'm going to need some help with that thing anyway."

He grunted in response, and followed her around the corner of the building; he lifted her over the fence before going over himself.

"Well, maybe I should just blow it open if you can't get it," he grumbled as they hurried back to the house. The raindrops were coming down faster now.

"Don't you dare try Tessaiga on that barrier! It's too close to the well house!" They reached the shelter of the front porch, and she spun to face him. "They both better be there when I get up in the morning, Inuyasha." She gave him what she hoped was a stern look. He smirked at her in response.

"Come on, wench, get inside before you get cold."

"Inuyasha…"

"I won't do anything! Get inside!"

Satisfied, she gave him another little grin and allowed herself to be shepherded inside. She gave him a last look at the foot of the stairs. "Good night, Inuyasha."

The soft look her gave her warmed her so that she forgot all about her damp clothes. "Good night, Kagome."

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Kagome turned and sighed after smiling goodbye to the last group of visitors, as the red light of the setting sun glistened on the leaves of the sakaki and camellia bushes that edged the courtyard. She put away the trinkets and collected the cash from the day's sales, slipping the deposit envelope into her shirt for safety.

Despite the rain the night before, the day had dawned bright and clear, and had brought many worshippers to the shrine. Jii-chan was still unwell and had stayed abed; Kagome had resigned herself to another day lost to her studies. In the few quiet intervals during the course of the day, her mind had teased at the puzzle of the barrier in back of the well house. More than ever she felt the loss of contact with their friends; if she had access to the feudal age, she could have asked Kaede or Miroku for advice. Here, she had no one that she trusted could come up with the answer.

She rolled down the shutter in front of the gift shop and locked it, then scanned the plaza to see if there were any stragglers. Souta was laughing with his friend Eichi, both of them carrying their skateboards and gear. _They'd better not be planning to do some more damage to the grounds with their stupid skateboarding_, she thought, irritated.

She strode toward them, her red hakama fluttering. Souta saw her coming and scowled. "What now, neechan?"

"I haven't nagged at you about anything all afternoon, have I? I just wanted to remind you that if the handrails get scratched up again, you're going to be the one painting them. Besides, you'll break your necks on those steps."

Eichi looked ready to protest, but Souta cut him off, with a weary "Fine, Kagome. We'll just use the street instead." He turned and marched off toward the steps, Eichi following.

"SOUTA! Not in the street, either, the sidewalk!" A wave indicated he'd heard her. She sighed again; he wasn't even a teenager yet, and he was already this much of a pain. She'd never been this snotty, had she? What had gotten into him today?

Getting a straw broom, she began to work her way from the other end of the courtyard, so that she'd end up with a neat pile on the side by one of the trash cans. As she swept, she idly reached out to sense where Inuyasha was. He'd been hanging around the courtyard most of the day within sight of her; right now, though, she detected his youki coming from the direction of the kitchen. She looked over to the house, and sure enough, she caught a glimpse of his golden eyes between the curtains. She smiled and paused in her sweeping; he gazed at her for a moment longer, then was gone.

_Well, at least I know he's not blowing up the hillside._ She smiled fondly. But how _was_ she going to get that barrier down? It might come down to him breaking it by force after all. Red Tessaiga might be just the thing. Or maybe she could try firing an arrow at it…

Her thoughts were interrupted by the squeal of tires and a frightening thump down in the street. Kagome froze, then dropped the broom and ran for the steps. Her throat seemed to close and she nearly panicked when, reaching the top of the steps, she looked down into the street below to see Souta and Eichi lying in front of a stopped car, and people running toward them. She pelted down headlong, nearly tripping several times over her hakama, but made it unscathed to the road. She flung herself through the crowd and dropped next to Souta first, pebbles digging into her knees; he was conscious, though crying and panic-stricken and his attention was on his friend. Glancing at him quickly, Kagome decided that he had some scrapes and bruises, but nothing more serious, as he had been wearing his protective gear. Perhaps he had gotten only a glancing blow. She turned her attention to Eichi, and inhaled sharply. Eichi was unconscious but still breathing, with a horrible gurgling sound from deep in his chest; he had bloody abrasions evident and limbs askew. He appeared to have been struck full-on by the car, and was lying in an unnatural twisted position. Was his back broken?

Looking up at the gathering crowd, and the hysterical woman she took to be the driver of the car, she ordered, "Somebody call an ambulance! Get back, give him air!" She barely noticed when someone volunteered that the ambulance was already called. She moved next to Eichi without touching him, and desperately tried to think what she could do, as the voices of the surrounding people faded from her consciousness. She gently lifted his shirt to look for concealed damage, and found massive bruising; he was probably bleeding internally, perhaps broken ribs had punctured a lung or other organs. He had to be in shock, maybe keeping him warm would help…? "Does anybody have a blanket or an extra shirt? Is there a doctor here?" A shirt appeared and she carefully draped it over him, but no doctor stepped forward; any action she thought of seemed futile. She could see his life leaving him in shallow bubbling breaths, and knew the ambulance would never arrive in time. Her eyes were filling with tears, and Souta's sobs were loud against the murmurs of the onlookers.

Suddenly the knowledge was _there_, pushing forward from that deep source in the back of her mind. Blinking tears away, she gazed intently at the boy, looking for and finding the gathering _gaki_, the messengers of the underworld that would soon take his soul. The things gibbered and crawled over him, occasionally giving her malevolent glances. Frowning, she raised her clasped hands over them, two fingers extended, and focused her power in a way that seemed foreign to her experience, and yet familiar and practiced at the same time.

The imps shrieked as they disintegrated like paper streamers in a high wind, bits of them tearing off and disappearing until there were none left.

Eichi's eyes fluttered open and he focused on her, confused. "Kagome-oneesan? What happened?" There was a collective gasp from the crowd as he attempted to sit up. The worst of his injuries had vanished.

TBC

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A/N: Ujiko – parishioners, community that supports a Shinto shrine


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: Inuyasha and associated characters are the property of Rumiko Takahashi.

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**Chapter 7**

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Kagome gently pushed on Eichi's shoulders to keep him lying down, and took a deep breath. She was shaking. "Lie still and wait for the ambulance, Eichi-chan. You were hit by a car and were hurt."

The boy didn't resist, but still looked confused. "Really? But it can't be that bad, Kagome-oneesan. I'm just kind of sore now." He began to pluck at the shirt covering him, nervously, and grimaced. "Do I really need to go to the hospital? My mother's going to freak out." He seemed more uncomfortable about the possible wrath of his mother than the thought of untreated injuries. She just looked at him, eyebrow raised, and he subsided, sighing. Souta was staring at his friend, relieved but slightly disbelieving.

"Neechan, that was amazing. I didn't know you could do something like that, I thought you could just kill dem--" She hastily clapped a hand over her brother's mouth, looking up surreptitiously to see if he had been overheard. Luckily, the people around them seemed to be paying less attention to them and more to arguing with each other about what had just happened.

"Souta, not now! Be quiet!" she hissed. His eyes wide, he nodded, and she took her hand away. His eyes didn't seem to be focusing properly; she asked him quietly if he was hurt anywhere, or if he had a headache. He admitted to having a sore head, and she told him to stay still and rest. _I'd better have him checked out too, in case he has a concussion._ She was less interested in the scrape on his hand, gravel still stuck in it and oozing clear fluid, that he showed her proudly. _Ick._

Kagome was aware of an increase in the volume and excitement of the talk going on over her head; she heard the words "healed" "revived" and "miko-sama" and wondered how obvious she had been. She noticed a familiar presence as he was almost upon her, and then he was gripping her shoulder, turning her slightly to face him. "You alright?" demanded Inuyasha, his eyes hard and anxious as he looked her over quickly. When he was satisfied that she was not hurt, he looked down at the two boys. "You brats making trouble again?" Both Eichi and Souta managed weak smiles for their hero, who sat back on his heels to regard Kagome questioningly; he did not relinquish his light grasp of her upper arm. She was relieved to see that he had remembered a cap to hide his ears.

"I'm fine; these two idiots must have been skateboarding in the street and got hit by a car." She shot them an exasperated look. "They're going to the hospital as soon as the ambulance gets here." Eichi looked resigned.

Inuyasha snorted. "What for? They look okay to me. What the hell's an 'ambulance', anyway?" Almost regretfully he released her arm, as though he had just realized he was holding on to it, and slid his hand down her arm to touch her hand lightly and reassuringly as his eyes flicked around at the forest of legs that surrounded them. She gripped his hand for comfort, not even thinking about it, and felt him squeeze back.

As she explained what an ambulance was, Kagome spotted her mother hurriedly pushing through the crowd to get to them. Inuyasha jumped to his feet and rudely shoved a gawking man out of her way as she reached them, gasping. Mama looked at Souta and Eichi, and then at her daughter, and sank down to the asphalt next to her while Inuyasha loomed over them protectively.

"The paramedics are coming, Mama. I think both of them will be alright, but they need a doctor," Kagome reassured her as the woman caught her breath, and gently touched her son's face. Mama's brows were drawn with distress.

"Kagome, you need to tell Jii-chan what's happening; it's not good for him to worry, his heart you know. And could you please call Eichi-chan's mother. I'll go with them to the hospital." She dabbed distractedly at a scrape on Souta's chin with her apron.

"What the hell is that fucking noise? It's coming this way." Tense, Inuyasha stood near them, his gaze sliding warily around the agitated crowd, seeking the source of the disturbance. Kagome could hear the ambulance siren now over the sound of the people around them, and suddenly felt very tired. She was _so_ glad Mama was there, to go to the hospital, to worry over Souta and Eichi, to take responsibility. All she had to do was see Jii-chan and call Eichi's mom, and then she could go collapse.

After reassuring Inuyasha that the siren was no danger to anyone, she stood and vainly tried to dust off her clothes. The ambulance was pulling up, a police car in its wake; she moved back from the prone boys, drawing the suspicious hanyou back with her, as the paramedics quickly moved to examine them.

The men soon determined that neither of them had broken bones or apparent neck or back injuries; this caused a burst of commentary from the people gathered at the scene. Several tried to argue with the paramedics. The startled men gave in to the extent that they gave Eichi another, closer examination. One of them, who appeared the senior of the two, gave Kagome a suspicious look upon hearing that she had treated the boy.

He walked over to her. "These people are saying that you did something here. Are you medically trained?" He seemed almost angry.

"No, sir," she said carefully. "Just some basic first aid. But I didn't touch him. All I did was cover him with that shirt, since I was afraid he was going into shock."

"You're sure you did nothing else?" The man's eyes bored into her as if he expected to catch her in a lie.

"I'm sure," she said, facing him squarely.

"She didn't fucking touch him," said the rough voice at her shoulder. "You think she's lying?"

"Just making sure. We don't need well-meaning amateurs doing more damage than help." The EMT gave her a last glance, narrowed his eyes at a belligerent Inuyasha, and turned back to his partner, who was carefully preparing to move Eichi onto a back board. The two of them quickly got him moved and loaded him into the ambulance. Mama climbed into the back, and it drove off at speed once it cleared the crowd.

The police officers stayed behind to write their reports. One man who had witnessed the accident was insisting to the police officer taking his statement that one of the boys had clearly been close to death, and several others chimed in with claims that a fantastic healing miracle had been effected by the holy miko of the shrine. The policeman appeared to be trying to keep a straight face.

Kagome stepped over to the other officer to make sure he had the boys' names and contact information for his report. The officer took it, glancing curiously at her miko garb, though he made no comment, and had no questions for her upon hearing she had not actually seen the accident happen. He did take her name, though.

By the time she had finished most of the milling spectators had dispersed; Inuyasha calmly waited for her a few steps away, arms crossed. He was gazing off in the direction the ambulance had gone. He turned and joined her as she started wearily towards the shrine.

"Are they going to be okay with those guys?"

"Of course." She looked over at him. "That man just wanted to be sure I didn't do anything to make Eichi worse. I'm sure he didn't mean to be rude."

"Keh. As if you would ever hurt anyone. Or lie about it." His face was dark with annoyance and he glared at an old lady who was in their path; she took one look at him and sidled out of the way hurriedly.

While Kagome spared a reassuring nod to the old woman, she hoped no one would stop her to ask questions. There were still a few people standing around and talking, and she felt the pressure of eyes upon her. Some of them were known to her as neighborhood gossips, and she winced at the thought of what rumors might come out of this incident. She hoped that her indiscretion wouldn't cause her any trouble. _Eichi's life was worth any amount of trouble,_ she reminded herself firmly. Besides, what kind of problem could be worse than being chased by demons for three years?

In the street, a middle-aged man had been watching Kagome; he tightened his mouth with determination as he saw the miko and her companion start to leave, and hurried after them. "Excuse me! Miko-sama!"

_Damn_. She halted and turned around, seeing irritation and suspicion flash across Inuyasha's features, and hoped he wouldn't say anything rude. They had to live here, after all. "Yes?"

The man was quite ordinary looking; middle aged and balding, glasses, in a business suit. He did not look familiar. He regarded her with a hopeful expression as he reached her.

"Please pardon me for interrupting you, but I need help, and I believe you are one who can help me. I am Kitamura Renjiro." He bowed, very respectfully. "You are a miko here at Higurashi Shrine?"

In confusion, she gave him a quick bow back. "Um, yes. I am Higurashi Kagome, I live here. What kind of help are you looking for, Kitamura-san? Maybe you need to speak to my grandfather, the priest?"

"Certainly I will speak to him if you insist, Higurashi-sama, but I saw _you_ save that boy with your spiritual powers, and I need _you_ to help my niece. I have had a number of priests try to help her already, and none have been effective. I am willing to pay whatever you demand." The man regarded her earnestly.

Kagome stared, taken aback; she had a sinking feeling that what she had done had been _really _obvious. _Uh oh. _Inuyasha was remaining thankfully silent, and was facing away, to the shrine, but she could see him watching them out of the corner of his narrowed eyes.

"Uh…me? Um. I'm not sure that I can do anything to help. Especially if trained priests have not been able to." The man simply regarded her steadily. It didn't look as though he would give up. With some trepidation, she said, "Please, come up to the shrine, and I'll see if my grandfather can see you. He's been unwell," she added hastily.

The man paused, and said uncertainly, "I can come back tomorrow, if it is inconvenient."

"Well," she temporized, "I can go see how he is. Please walk up with us, sir."

The man nodded, and the three of them began climbing the steps, Kitamura glancing across her to Inuyasha on her right. "Do you also serve at the shrine, young man?" He was taking in the decidedly unmodern red haori and hakama.

Kagome jumped in quickly as the hanyou gave the man a glare. "Excuse me! Kitamura-san, this is Inuyasha, a friend of the family. He also lives here."

The man smiled kindly. "It must be nice for you to live here in such beautiful surroundings, and with such a pretty girl, Inuyasha-san. I saw you with Higurashi-sama, down there in the street. You two seem very close." He gave her a good humored wink. "Should I offer congratulations, or does your family know?"

Instantly they both flushed; Kagome stuttered, "Oh! we're not--" while Inuyasha ground out "None of your business, you old--"

Kitamura cut them off. "Not to worry, not to worry!" He winked again, and gave her arm a pat. "I won't say anything to your grandfather. Ah, to be young again..." He trailed off, a bit breathless, as he concentrated on the steps.

Kagome, still blushing, peeked at Inuyasha only to see him giving her a similar sideways glance. Both immediately shifted their eyes forward to their goal, and saw Jii-chan's hunched figure at the top of the steps, silhouetted against the darkening sky. As she got closer, she could tell from his expression that he was anxious and impatient, and tried to speed up, her embarrassment forgotten in her concern for her grandfather.

She was speaking before they reached the top. "Jii-chan, Souta and Eichi got hit by a car, but I think they're going to be okay. Mama's with them." Jii-chan's face cleared a bit, and he exhaled heavily. She regarded him with some worry; he didn't look well. "Are you all right? Should you be out of bed?"

He waved off her concern. "Oh, I'm much better, child. Now, what about you? Your hakama is all dirty. Look at your knees! And who's this, eh?" He regarded Kitamura.

She introduced him. "Kitamura-san has asked me for help, and I wanted him to talk to you and to describe the problem, Jii-chan. If you're feeling up to it, of course." Her grandfather looked at her sharply, and gestured them both to the shrine office. She heard her grandfather telling their visitor that he would brew some tea as the two men began walking ahead. Kagome paused and looked at Inuyasha, who was staring after them, his brow furrowed. "Did Mama fix dinner before all this happened?"

He shook his head. "No, she was waiting for you to come in, to ask you what you wanted." He was still watching Kitamura.

"There's some ramen in the kitchen if you're hungry. You go on, I'll be in soon."

Inuyasha crossed his arms and gave her a sardonic look. "No, I think I want to hear this. Were you planning on sticking your nose into whatever deep shit that flake is in?"

Kagome scowled. "Why, _yes_, I was planning on hearing the man out, though I doubt I'm the type of help he needs."

"Then I'm coming too. Somebody's got to keep you out of trouble."

"Eh, you don't need to do that, Inuyasha. I won't get into trouble by just _talking_ to him."

She turned to hurry after the two men, who had reached the shrine office and were going in, but had only taken a couple of steps before she tripped over the fraying hem of her hakama and fell forward. Instantly, Inuyasha was there and scooped her up in his arms.

"See? You can't even walk and talk at the same time, idiot." She looked up at him, his face inches from hers, and he froze. They stared wide-eyed at each other for a second before he released her slowly. As she regained her feet she looked away, murmuring thanks. They resumed walking to the office in silence, but not before he had curled his hand around hers. She smiled down as she watched her step on the uneven pavement.

Before she opened the door, he asked her in a low voice, "Kagome. What exactly did you do that got this guy all fired up? I didn't see or smell any youkai around, though that kid was in bad shape."

She whispered "I'll tell you later, in the house. It was another one of those things that I remembered." He frowned but said nothing more as they entered the office.

When they came in, Jii-chan was pouring hot water from his electric kettle on the table at the far wall; Kitamura seemed to be sitting rather tensely upright, but sank back a bit when he saw Kagome. The shrine office was cluttered but welcoming; framed pictures of family members shared the walls with certificates from the national shrine association, and several cushioned chairs circled a desk that was normally piled with papers. The papers appeared to have been rather hastily cleared into a couple of teetering stacks on one edge of the desk. Motioning Inuyasha towards one of the chairs, Kagome went around the desk to assist her grandfather, but he waved her back to a seat. Remembering that she had a phone call to make, she excused herself and picked up the phone that also sat on the desk.

Eichi's mother was understandably upset. Kagome did her best to calm and reassure her before the woman hung up to race to the hospital. She sat down with a sigh, just as Jii-chan finished fussing with the tea. He brought four steaming cups on a tray and set them down on the cleared space, then sat down himself behind the desk. "So, Kitamura-san, what sort of trouble are you having?"

Kitamura picked up a cup and began, "My sister's child, Michiko, is in the hospital with an unknown malady. She has been unconscious for two weeks, and is getting progressively weaker, and none of the medical people can determine why, nor can they wake her up. I fear she is getting close to death." His long face crumpled a bit.

"It's possible that it could be demonic possession of some kind, or maybe a ghost," the old priest mumbled, stroking his beard, as he gave the man a chance to regain control. He then asked gently, "So why did you think Kagome here could help you? Any reliable monk or priest can perform an exorcism. Kagome is not trained yet to do such things, though I admit she is very knowledgeable for her age and is certainly a credit to this shrine." Jii-chan beamed proudly at her, which made her shrink into the chair slightly in embarrassment.

"I have already had several priests examine her and perform exorcisms. Michiko is no better for it," Kitamura said, rather dismissively. He set the cup down. "I think she is being possessed, and possibly by some demon that is more powerful than anything they could handle. That is why I want Higurashi-sama to examine her. I saw how badly injured that boy was; when she prayed over him, he was healed. I don't think any demon would have a chance against something like that."

Kagome saw the determined look on his face, and quailed. What could she say to dissuade him? Sure, in the past she had been effective at purifying demons— _by shooting arrows at them— _ but how many demons still existed in modern Tokyo? This man was probably in denial over a medical problem that had nothing to do with youkai. Jii-chan was staring at her open mouthed; he collected himself and gave her a searching look. It promised interrogation to come later. Inuyasha sipped his tea thoughtfully and said nothing.

Kitamura leaned forward, his brow wrinkled. "I can give you some more details. My sister and her husband recently purchased a house on the outskirts of Tokyo; they moved into it about a month ago. It's very old and has a history of strange events, and is rumored to be haunted. I warned my sister to have the house blessed," he went on sarcastically, "but she's too _modern_ to bother with any of that 'old religious nonsense'. At any rate, she's been remodeling the place, trying to do it all herself. Odd things began happening about a week after they moved in, noises, shadows moving on the walls, objects breaking when no one was around. My niece told me this, as it frightened her and kept her awake at night, and she begged me to talk to her mother about calling a priest. I did, though my sister remained as stubbornly against it as before.

"And then Michiko fell ill. She grew pale and tired, and seemed to be sleeping all the time, despite her fears. She wouldn't tell me what was wrong, though she seemed even more frightened than ever. Two weeks ago she fell asleep and hasn't woken up." He gazed at Kagome, the sheen of unshed tears glittering in his eyes. "Won't you please just _look_, Higurashi-sama? Humor a man at the end of his resources? My sister finally consented to the priests, she's desperate, though their failure tends to reinforce her conviction that it's not a spiritual problem. I would gladly pay whatever is necessary. I have no children of my own, and I cherish her as I would a daughter."

Kagome sat frozen in her chair, the tea forgotten in her hands. There was no way she could refuse a plea like that, even if all she did was go to see the girl at the hospital. She started to nod, but then looked over to her grandfather. She wasn't a free agent here, the way she was in the feudal age. It should be _his_ decision. He was the priest, and this man had approached her as a representative of the shrine. Well, sort of.

Jii-chan had set his cup down as well, and was staring thoughtfully at Kitamura, his hands steepled before him. At her movement he glanced at her, and said, "Well then. I don't see a problem with that. Kagome, you will go over to the hospital tomorrow and examine Kitamura-san's niece, and report back to me what your findings are. Take the d-, uh, young man with you in case things get rough." Inuyasha started and scowled, but subsided at Kagome's smirk.

"Looks like I might want a bodyguard after all, Inuyasha."

"Keh."

She looked back to her grandfather. "I'll go in the afternoon, after school, if that's all right."

Kitamura looked relieved, and pulled out a business card. He wrote a name on the back of it, and handed it to her. "This is her name and room number. Please let me know as soon as you've looked at her, Higurashi-sama. Ah, guji-sama, what does the shrine charge for house calls?"

Jii-chan brightened, and pulled out several forms from one of the desk drawers.

"Kitamura-san, most shrines and temples ask between twenty thousand and five hundred thousand yen for an exorcism, though it depends on the difficulty. While I cannot claim to be an expert in possessions, this doesn't sound like a normal, run of the mill exorcism to me. Why don't we set it at the minimum for now, just for her to go examine the girl, and Kagome can tell me how much trouble she thinks the demon will give her? We can come to an agreement upon a successful outcome, don't you think? Now, there are a few matters to take care of. I have a contract here with the standard disclaimers, you know, we are not to be held responsible for loss of life or destruction of property incurred during the performance of the requested ritual or other action by the shrine's agents, et cetera. Please read it over and sign." He handed a pen to Kitamura, who studied the document that the old man had pushed across the table. "Which hospital is the girl in?" Jii-chan asked.

"Tokyo General," Kitamura answered, his attention absorbed by the contract. Jii-chan looked up at his granddaughter, who was goggling at the contract in disbelief.

"Kagome, why don't you go on in. You look tired." A beatific smile crossed his face, and Kagome was nonplussed. _You'd think **he** was the conquering demon killer. Is it the money or the notoriety that he's dreaming about?_

She got up, pulling on Inuyasha's sleeve. "Come on. Guess I'm going to have to make dinner."

Jii-chan was absorbed in looking over the first document Kitamura had just signed, but she had Inuyasha's full attention.

"It had better be ramen if you want me to work tomorrow."

She rolled her eyes. "Then it's a good thing I don't feel like making anything else, Inuyasha."

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Inuyasha lingered in the kitchen while she went upstairs to change out of the soiled miko clothes. When she came back in, he was holding two different flavors of cup ramen in his clawed hands, evidently trying to decide between them. He had taken the cap off his head, and while he wasn't looking she let herself admire him. Kitamura hadn't seemed to think anything of Inuyasha being her boyfriend. He was certainly good-looking, even in weird medieval clothes. Of course, the man hadn't seen the ears…she could always admire those in private…

She started and grabbed another cup out of the pantry when he turned to her abruptly. He set the ramen down and tore the lids off the cups. Apparently he was having both.

"That kid was going to die, wasn't he? I smelled a lot of blood before I got down there, but you did something. What was it?"

She hesitated. "Do you remember what Toutousai said about how Tenseiga works?"

He frowned and said, "Sesshoumaru used it to wipe out demons from the underworld. You don't mean to tell me you can raise the dead..." He stared at her. "That's _not_ something Kikyou could do."

"Kikyou knew how to do something like that, but I think only for people who hadn't actually died yet. I could see them, Inuyasha. The creepy little demons were crawling on him like rats. I purified them."

"And that healed him." Inuyasha continued to frown, staring off across the room.

"Sometimes these things just come to me when I need them. I hadn't known before I was sitting in front of Eichi, watching him die." She fidgeted uncomfortably. "I wish all those people hadn't seen it. I'm afraid there might be some problems."

He snorted. "Hell, Kagome. It doesn't look like your grandpa had a problem with it." He filled the kettle with water from the sink, fumbling a little with the faucet. "In fact, wasn't this the kind of thing that Miroku always tried to set up? Publicity, he said."

"But the shrine doesn't need publicity."

"The old man might think differently. Did you see his face?" He set the kettle on the stove, and stared in perplexity at the controls. She reached past him and turned it on 'high'. He turned around to face her "Besides, the old man is always talking about holy powers and stuff. Now he knows that you're for real, and you actually healed somebody. He's got bragging rights."

"That's the problem!" she exclaimed, despairingly. "I can purify demons, but that's all. I can't magically heal anything else, and it would be dishonest to let people think that! I don't know if I can help that man's niece or not, but Jii-chan's going to collect anyway!" _People coming here, full of hope that I could save them. What if I can't? What is Jii-chan going to tell people? It would be like how the villagers were worshipping me, back when I first arrived in the Sengoku Jidai. Can't I just be normal for a while?_

He raised an eyebrow at her vehemence, before turning back to the stove with a shrug. "They'll figure it out eventually. I wouldn't worry about it." He was now watching the kettle impatiently. "Damn it, how long does this fucking take?"

Jii-chan stumped in, looking pleased. "Kagome, good work, my girl. It sounds like you just added considerably to the reputation of the shrine!" Something in her face must have communicated her unease, as he peered at her quizzically as he settled himself in a chair at the table. "So what happened?"

_Should I tell him the truth?_ Kagome bit her lip; she hadn't totally explained about Kikyou, so maybe she'd better give him the quick version. "Eichi and Souta got hit by a car. I saw some demons on Eichi and purified them, and he got a lot better." She turned and opened the refrigerator to search for a drink, and hoped that would settle the matter.

"Kagome!" She turned around, reluctantly. "You purified demons?" At her slow nod his face cracked in a smile. "You've remembered all the things I've taught you, then! And I thought you weren't listening!" He thumped his hand on the table in appreciation as he cackled. "Well, I'll have a thing or two to tell old Hirazawa at the next Jinja Association meeting!"

She sat down with her soda across the table from him. The water had finally boiled on the stove and Inuyasha was pouring some into the ramen cups; he grabbed the cups and some chopsticks and sat with them, shoving her cup and a set of chopsticks in her direction. He stirred the cups a meager few times before he started wolfing down the scalding, barely softened noodles. Kagome spared him a brief glance -- _hope he doesn't burn his tongue again -- _before looking back in concern at the old man.

"Are you hungry, Jii-chan?" She indicated the ramen in front of her.

He shook his head, looking a little green as he glanced at the ramen. "No thank you, Kagome. I've had no appetite today."

"Are you sure you shouldn't be in bed?" His eyes were a bit glazed; he looked feverish to her. "Mama's going to be upset if she finds out you've been straining yourself."

"I'm fine, girl. I'm going back to bed, but first you have to tell me what method you used to dispel the demons. I like ofuda myself, they're very versatile, but I don't see you carrying any."

"Uh, I just thought about it and pointed at them, Jii-chan" His mention of ofuda brought her mind to the barrier they'd found. He was staring at her, bug-eyed; before he could recover, she said, "Oh yeah, Jii-chan. We found something in back of the well house last night that had a talisman on it. Do you think that it might be where Great-Grandfather might have hid the old stuff?"

As she had hoped, the question derailed Jii-chan's train of thought. "You found something, and didn't tell me? You could have mentioned it at breakfast!"

"You weren't at breakfast. You've been ill, remember?"

"Well, let's go see it now." He made to rise, but paused, leaning heavily on the table. She noticed the sheen of sweat on his brow, and rose as well.

"Jii-chan," she said firmly. "You're going to bed, right now. It's too dark for you to go scrambling back there anyway even if you were well." Going around the table, she gripped his arm supportively and steered him to his bedroom. "Come on now, we'll show you in the morning." She ignored his feeble protests and got him to bed; he surrendered with a sigh as he sank into it.

"Fine. But I'll be getting up first thing to look, Kagome!"

"Good night, Jii-chan." She tucked him in and turned out the light, and closed the door softly behind her.

Inuyasha had finished his ramen. "You gonna eat yours?"

"Yes. You're still hungry?"

"I only had two cups, woman." He eyed the pantry where the cup ramen was stored.

"Fine, make some more."

Once she had finished hers, she decided to take a quick bath. Hopefully Inuyasha wouldn't burn down the kitchen. When she came back downstairs, clad in pajamas, Inuyasha was sitting in front of the TV in the living room and there was still no sign of Mama or Souta. Jii-chan's snores echoed softly from his room. With a sigh she drew a cushion close and sat down next to Inuyasha. Might as well waste time in front of the tube, she was too tired to even think about studying.

The program he was watching droned on. She was feeling the effects of the long day; she yawned, glancing at the clock. It was getting pretty late…where was Mama? Would Souta be coming home tonight? Maybe she could call the hospital… she lacked the will to get up, though. She tried to focus on the screen, but she couldn't seem to keep her eyes open. With a sigh she leaned against Inuyasha, resting her head on his shoulder. She felt him tense, but ignored it; after a few minutes he seemed to relax somewhat. Good. He wasn't as comfy to lean on if he was all stiff and nervous.

"Kagome."

"Mm."

"If you're gonna sleep, you should go to bed." His voice was low and gentle.

"Gotta wait up. Find out about Eichi," she mumbled. She snuggled against him drowsily, trying for greater comfort. Slowly he moved his arm from where she was leaning on it, and put it around her. She was vaguely aware when he shifted slightly; when she felt his hand on her chin, gently tilting her face up, her eyes fluttered open.

He was gazing down at her. Slowly, hesitatingly, he lowered his lips to hers. She opened her eyes wide; when their lips touched, her lids lowered again, and she concentrated on the feel of his mouth. It pressed softly on hers, moving slightly.

She was completely awake now, her heart pounding. Time seemed to stretch as their kiss lengthened. She forgot to breathe for a long moment, then suddenly drew it in with a gasp. Inuyasha immediately jerked up, away from her, and stared at her in alarm.

"Kagome?" He looked ready to flee, tense as he searched her face. His arms were still around her, though.

She smiled, and leaned up to him. "Kiss me again?"

Slowly, he relaxed, and a tiny answering smile appeared on his face. He leaned down and kissed her, his arms tightening around her. This time she remembered to breathe.

She was just starting to get used to the idea of what they were doing when he raised his head abruptly and stared in the direction of the front door. He withdrew his arms, muttering a curse under his breath.

"Your mother and brother are here."

When Mama got in, an exhausted Souta in tow, she found them sitting decorously in front of the television. Souta had some scrapes and bruises, and a bump on the head, but would be fine. Kagome was a little more uneasy with the strange look her mother gave her when she related that, other than some similar scrapes, Eichi didn't have a single injury.

TBC

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A/N: _Guji_ – head priest of a shrine


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: Inuyasha and associated characters are the property of Rumiko Takahashi.

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**Chapter 8**

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Souta left first the next morning, cheerfully calling goodbye as he went off to school. He wore the sticky bandages on his scraped chin as proudly as if they were medals of honor. Inuyasha let him pass without notice; his object was the one coming out after. She stepped out slowly, calling out her goodbye uncertainly, before turning and raising her eyes to scan the yard and surrounding trees. He could restrain himself no longer.

"Kagome." He leaped down from his place of semi-concealment, the handy bough overhanging the yard, to land lightly before her. He was breathless at the way her face instantly brightened as she looked up to him, and the way she leaned toward him slightly.

"Inuyasha! Why weren't you at breakfast? You know I've got to hurry to get to—" He landed a kiss, silencing her, while his hands settled on her shoulders. She froze with surprise at first, but he was gratified at the way she quickly responded. The kiss was too short, as she reluctantly pulled her lips away after only a minute or five.

"Inuyasha…" The faint blush pinkening her cheeks enthralled him. He had to have more time to study it.

"Stay here today," he murmured suggestively as he looked down into her eyes, his hands sliding down her arms. "You can go to school tomorrow." Or the day after, or maybe next week would be okay…

"I can't." She gave him a half-smile. "I wish I could, but I can't put off classwork any longer. I've got finals coming up." She put her arms around him and hugged him, her lips touching his neck briefly, electrifyingly, before she let go and stepped back. She was still blushing, but smiling. "We'll have time to spend together. Just not now."

He became aware of Mama's scent behind them in the entrance room at the same moment that they both heard a throat being loudly cleared within; he gave a low curse. How the hell did _she_ sneak up on him? His brain must be turning to mush, he thought, and stepped back from Kagome reflexively. Kagome's face became even redder, and with a small gasp she spun and began walking briskly toward the shrine, and the way down to the street. She turned again, walking backwards a couple of steps, and blew him a kiss, her eyes sparkling.

"See you after school!" she called, before sprinting in earnest for the stairs.

As he watched her his lips involuntarily turned up in a small grin, despite his disappointment, before remembering he was about to have an audience. On cue the front door slid open, and Mama emerged, a half-apologetic smile on her face. He attempted to look casual. Sure, he always hung around the front door.

"Oh, Inuyasha. I was hoping to find you here," she said. _Dammit, how can she stand there and look so innocent?_ And why couldn't he manage the same trick? Grumpily, he folded his hands into his sleeves and waited for whatever she was planning to get him to do. She had her purse and her coat on, evidently on her way somewhere.

"I need to step out and pick up a few things. Can you keep an eye on Jii-chan, if he should wake up and need anything?"

That was all? "Sure," he said. "But what's wrong with the geezer?"

"He's still got a bit of flu. He was talking earlier this morning about going over to see that barrier or whatever it is you found, and I'd rather he was in bed a bit longer and not trying to walk around back there." She adjusted her coat and settled her purse before smiling at the hanyou. "He had gone back to sleep the last I looked, but if you could check on him once in a while and make sure he's comfortable, I would really appreciate it."

"No problem," he drawled, as he noted the clear sound of stealthy movement inside the house, specifically from the direction of the old man's bedroom, but gave no sign.

"Thank you, Inuyasha. I'll be back soon." With a sunny nod she walked past him and followed her children's path out to the street.

Inuyasha stole into the house as quietly as only he could, moved soundlessly to the old man's door, and leaned on the wall to the far side of it, arms crossed over his chest, idly curious to discover what would happen. Jii-chan failed to see him at first as he stuck his head out and looked down the hallway; he gasped when he swiveled his head to see the hanyou staring at him sardonically.

"Looking for something, Jijii?"

Jii-chan theatrically stuck his hand in his robe as if to draw out an ofuda, and glared at him. "You're lucky I saw it was you, demon! What do you mean, standing around at my door?"

"I heard you get up. Ain't you supposed to be in bed?"

"You heard— oh, never mind. I was going to go take a look at that thing Kagome mentioned." The old man stalked irritably past Inuyasha on his way to the kitchen, pausing to sneeze into a white hankie.

Well, that could be interesting. Belatedly he thought of his agreement with Mama, but dismissed it—he was keeping an eye on Jijii, wasn't he? Inuyasha followed him out the kitchen door and to the courtyard. He had remembered to grab a cap before exiting the house and walked along the fence with the old man, who was grumbling to himself. When they reached the well house, Jii-chan paused, looking past the building to the slope behind it.

"Behind the well house, eh? Where, exactly, is this barrier that you found?" His voice was heavy with disbelief as he squinted into the dimness; it was dark under the trees, even in the brightness of the morning. He put his hands on the fence and made as if to climb over it.

Inuyasha rolled his eyes and sighed. Clearly it would take the old man a while to climb over the fence, and while it might be entertaining to watch him fall on his ass, he might get hurt and then there'd be hell to pay. He tapped the old man on the arm to get his attention, and presented his back. "Get on, Jijii. I'll take you."

Jii-chan stared at him a moment, and then grumbled something indecipherable, but got on. Inuyasha took the fence easily and loped around the corner of the building, and stopped in front of the barrier, still faintly luminescent in the weak daylight. He dropped the old man rather abruptly, which produced a short squawk.

"Well, where is it, boy?" Jii-chan was angrily brushing imaginary dirt off his robe, and looking around.

What was he, blind? "It's right there in front of you," Inuyasha snapped.

The old man's eyes went right past the barrier to scan the whole cliff face. "I don't see any barrier. Is this some demon trick?" he huffed, turning to glare at Inuyasha.

_This is getting really boring._ Plainly showing his irritation, he held a clawed finger up in front of the old man's eyes. "Look," he said, and slowly brought his hand around to point directly at the talisman, barely visible behind the barrier. "It's. Right. _There._"

"I don't see anything but dirt there!" He reached out and slapped his hand right where Inuyasha had pointed, but didn't appear to notice anything. "See? Just dirt!" He then sneezed, hastily bringing the hankie to his nose.

Inuyasha gritted his teeth. _Fucking useless old man. I never thought he couldn't see it… _"Okay. Watch this. If you still don't see anything, the next time I hit it will be with Tessaiga." Deliberately he slapped his hand on the spot and held it there.

Light flared, and his hand burned as it had before; that is to say, the sting was negligible, certainly beneath his notice. Patiently he bore it as he watched the old man's expression. It changed from sour skepticism to astonishment, and he stared intently at the spot where Inuyasha's hand connected to the sparking barrier.

"Well, I do see something. Is that a talisman under there? Move your hand, boy."

"Gladly." Inuyasha took his hand off and sneered, "Need any more help, _priest_?"

Jii-chan opened his mouth for an indignant reply, but instead looked back at the barrier, dismayed. "It disappeared!" He poked his hand in the general area of the talisman in a bewildered manner. "Put your hand back on, boy, I wasn't done looking."

Inuyasha crossed his arms and smirked. "Too bad. I told you, the next time I hit that thing it'll be with Tessaiga. I promise you'll see _that_. Get out of the way and I'll open it up right now."

"That might not be a good idea." Jii-chan looked back at the dirt wall, frustrated. "The warding on this could be set to collapse the whole cliff if not dispelled properly. You can see it?" he asked Inuyasha, looking at him sharply.

"Yeah. So can Kagome. Guess you're the only one who can't, eh?" he snickered.

Jii-chan ignored his tone, and instead ordered, "Read to me what it says."

"Why the hell should I? If you can't see it, what can you do about it?"

The old man glared at him. "Just do it, youkai!"

Inuyasha glared back, and then relented sullenly. "Fine." He leaned over and stared at the talisman. "Uh…I humbly speak before the…something…deities, who dwell…something, something, um…fulfill your praises…not be bewitched and will not speak consent, to the unfriendly and unruly…spirits? Yeah, spirits. Uh, who come from the land of …something. Then there's something about guarding, and then the rest is messed up."

"Hmm. Can't you see any more?"

"It's pretty faded," Inuyasha admitted. "I can't make out anything else."

Jii-chan seemed to be thinking hard, his gaze abstracted. Without a further word he turned and walked slowly around the well house. Inuyasha stared for a moment at his retreating back, then followed him.

"Hey! Where the fuck are you going?" The old man ignored him, still deep in thought. When he nearly walked into the fence, Inuyasha cursed and grabbed him by the back of his robe, and lifted him by the scruff up and over the fence. Jii-chan still took no notice; when he was set down on the other side, he kept walking as if there had been no obstacle in his path, and headed for the shrine. Inuyasha stared a moment more in disbelief, before shrugging and going back to the house. The old man would be safe enough.

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Inuyasha stared into the refrigerator, not really seeing the contents, though he was evaluating the smell of various leftovers so as to decide what to eat. He wasn't really hungry, but the well-stocked larder was a constant temptation for someone accustomed to catching his own food. Nobody in the feudal age, not even lords, had this kind of variety always close at hand. He was going to get fat if he didn't find something to keep him busy.

He was reaching for some sweet fried tofu aburage, and thinking wistfully of sword practice with that annoying kitsune Yasei for a training dummy, when he heard Mama at the front entrance. She walked into the kitchen shortly afterward, and set some bags down. It was even _more_ food, from the smell of it.

"Any problems with Jii-chan?" she asked, as she put the groceries away.

"Naw," he mumbled, eating the tofu at the sink.

"Thank you, Inuyasha. I'll go check on him." She walked out of the kitchen; a couple of minutes later she walked back in with a concerned expression. "He's not in his bed, Inuyasha. Do you know where he is?"

He swallowed the last mouthful, and replied, "Last I saw he was going out to the shrine."

She appeared faintly vexed. "But Inuyasha…oh dear. I'd better go find him." With that she turned on her heel and hurried out.

Well, now that she was back, he considered himself relieved of geezer-watching duty. He headed out to one of his favored tree branches for a nap.

Several hours later, he was wakened by the sound of voices. Kagome and Souta were approaching the house; he immediately observed that Kagome looked unhappy. Instantly he descended and joined them.

"Hey, Inu no niichan!" Souta greeted him

"Hey." He paused uncertainly. "Something wrong?" he asked Kagome. She raised troubled eyes to him, but shook her head.

"No, nothing to worry about." She smiled a bit wanly.

Souta told him in a very audible stage whisper, "People at school were talking about Eichi and the accident and staring at her. It's all over the place." Inuyasha frowned.

"Did some asshole bother you about it, Kagome?" He cracked his knuckles meaningfully.

Kagome gave her brother an irritated look. "I said it's nothing. They'll all forget about it soon enough." She shook her head. "Come on, let's go in. I want to eat something before heading over to the hospital to look at that girl."

Inuyasha had nearly forgotten about that. He followed them in, only to find a perturbed Mama waiting for them.

"Kagome, Jii-chan wandered off again. I got him to lie down for a while, but now he's sneaked out and he's not at the shrine. Can you see where he is?"

"Wandered off again?" Kagome set her books down.

Souta was already dashing out. "I'll find him!"

Kagome asked her mother with some trepidation, "He's not, you know, going…senile, is he?" Inuyasha snorted at that.

"Going?" he sneered.

Mama gave him a quelling look. "No, no. It's just that he should be resting, not walking around while he's sick."

"Oh. Well, he shouldn't be far." She looked at the hanyou. "Help me find him, Inuyasha?"

"Come on." Walking out, Inuyasha sniffed, and then pointed negligently. "He's behind the well house again."

"Again?" Mama said. She hurried ahead of them, muttering distractedly.

They came upon Jii-chan, leaning against the back wall of the well house, a hand absently stroking the point of his goatee. Souta was coming around the other side, having seen the direction they were heading. Mama started off with a plea for him to come back inside, but broke off when she looked at the dirt wall. He was staring fixedly at the spot Inuyasha had shown him earlier.

"Is this what you found?" She reached forward to the talisman, but checked herself when she found her hand blocked. "Why can't I touch this?"

That seemed to break Jii-chan's concentration. He glared at Mama. "You can see it too?"

"There's a barrier in front of it, Mama," Kagome remarked. "I haven't figured out how to get in yet."

"I have," Inuyasha said coolly. "I'll just blast it open." With a flourish he reached for Tessaiga's hilt at his waist.

Kagome started, "Inuyasha, don't you think—" at the same time that Souta yelled, "Cool!" and Mama put a hand to her mouth in surprise.

Inuyasha drew Tessaiga…and hit his elbow against the back wall. The space was too narrow. The transformed sword seemed even more enormous in the small space. Awkwardly he positioned the sword in front of the barrier, where the old man was still standing obliviously. Tessaiga began to glow redly.

"Move, jijii!"

"Inuyasha, wait—there's no room back here."

"I'll make some room, wench. Out of the way."

"You'd better not!"

Suddenly the old man straightened. He reached inside his kimono, and drew out several ofuda. He sorted through them quickly, looked up again at the bluff, and selected one, putting the rest away. He then leaned forward, chanted something briefly, and slapped the ofuda against the barrier, above the talisman.

All of them stared as the ofuda seemed to hang in the air for a moment, then fluttered to the ground. With a satisfied grunt Jii-chan reached forward unerringly and took hold of the talisman. He gave it a light tug and it came free, the rusted wire that it had been suspended on crumbling. With a slight, satisfied smile he held it up for inspection, shining a flashlight on it closely.

Inuyasha and Kagome stood frozen with shock, as Mama and Souta bent close to see the talisman. Kagome found her voice first.

"Jii-chan, how did you do that? I tried for an hour to get that thing open!"

Jii-chan clucked disapprovingly at her as he looked up. "You should pay better attention, girl. Haven't I shown you many times the sacred ofuda that have been passed down in our family?" He shook his head. "I really thought you'd be quicker on the uptake, Kagome. Well, I suppose everyone's entitled to an off day now and then."

While she gaped at him, he reached down with a grunt and picked up the ofuda that had dropped to the ground, and with an air of restrained patience he held it and the talisman towards her. "Now, compare the phrases on the two here. Do you recognize it yet?"

At her blank look he sighed. "It's from the Miti-Ahe No Maturi norito. Really, Kagome, I see I'm going to have to go over the various ofuda with you again."

Inuyasha felt his stupefaction wearing off at the realization that the barrier was _down._ He turned to it while the rest of them were staring at the scribblings, and poked at the dirt bank under the overhang with a no longer glowing Tessaiga. A hollow thunk resulted, and some caked dirt fell, revealing wooden planks. Everyone's attention was immediately diverted.

"Well, good thing _somebody_ knew what to do with that stupid barrier," he remarked as he sheathed Tessaiga, giving Kagome a meaningful glare. She ignored him as she stepped closer to the revealed door.

"Yeah, good work, Jii-chan," she said absently as she touched the planks, brushing at some of the dirt to reveal more of them. Inuyasha joined her in brushing at the congealed clods of earth for a few minutes, but quickly became impatient. Without thinking he thumped the door with a fist. Immediately most of the dirt showered down revealing the entire outline of the door, as well as the supporting beams that framed it. It was fastened closed with a hasp and an antique padlock, encrusted with rust and dirt.

Mama, Souta and Jii-chan had jumped back in time to avoid the mess; unfortunately for her, a good amount of the dirt fell on Kagome, causing her to emit a shriek that hurt his ears.

"What the hell's with that noise!"

"Inuyasha, look at me! I'm all dirty, and I've got to get ready to leave! I'll have to shower again!"

"Oh, that's right!" Mama exclaimed. "Let's go, Kagome. I'll fix you something to eat."

Kagome stamped her foot in frustration. "Mou! I want to find out what's behind the door!" She hesitated, then moved to it. "Seeing as I'm already dirty," she decided aloud, "I'll just take a few minutes to see what's here, and then go." She reached forward and gave a tug on the old lock, but only succeeded in getting her hand stained red-brown. Rusty it might be, but it was still solid.

"Stand back, wench." Inuyasha pushed past her to grab hold of it and gave it a sharp yank. The lock, hasp, and part of the rotted wood frame came loose in his hand. He dropped it and gave the door a push. It resisted; he imagined it must be clogged with dirt, the hinges corroded, and gave it a stronger shove. Rather than swinging inward it fell, the hinges tearing off the frame with a squeal of protest. He reached in and grabbed the door, and pulling it out, set it against the back wall of the well house. He turned back to find the entire Higurashi family craning their heads to look in the beam of the flashlight.

It revealed a small, dank-smelling anteroom of some kind, with another door at the other end a few feet away. Against one side wall leaned some old tools: a pair of shovels, an axe, and on the floor lay several machetes, a hammer and a rusty bucket containing some equally rusty nails. Leaning against the opposite wall was a rifle. Inuyasha stared at it for a moment, curiously; it looked different from the Tanegashima rifles he had seen in the past. Ignoring it for now, he stepped forward to the other door.

This one was in better shape than the outer door, though he could smell the wood rot weakening it. It was similarly locked with a hasp and padlock, and an ofuda was fastened to it. He reached for the lock, prepared to dispose of it as he had the first, but Kagome was suddenly there, putting a restraining hand on his arm.

"Wait." She took hold of the ofuda, which glowed briefly but gave way easily into her hand. She nodded in satisfaction at the door, an eagerness and curiosity burning in her eyes. "Try to just get the lock off, if you can, without breaking the frame," she asked, glancing at him. He shrugged in compliance, and crushed the lock in his hand rather than tearing it off. He picked the remains from the hasp and, grasping the iron handle attached to the door, he pushed it open. Kagome gasped when the light shone in.

The room was piled with crates, trunks, boxes, rolls of unidentifiable material; oilcloth was draped over the piles, evidently to guard against falls of dirt and water seeping from above. There was a ceiling of wooden beams, stained and musty with age, as were the wooden walls; the things in the room rested on some rough pieces of lumber to keep them off the dirt floor. The room was small, maybe half the size of Kagome's bedroom. A narrow aisle allowed access through the middle of the room

Inuyasha looked behind him to see the four of them staring wide-eyed at the cache, utterly astonished. "There's bound to be some paper amongst all this crap, huh, Kagome," he said, with a confidence he didn't quite feel. He felt he should be able to smell the ink, but if it was here the scent was being overwhelmed by the mustiness of everything else in this damp little hole.

"Wow." Kagome ran her eyes over the contents of the little room wonderingly. Abruptly she seemed to come to a realization. "I _wish _I didn't have to go just now!" She turned to Jii-chan, who was just behind her, staring into the room in wonderment. "Jii-chan, please let me know as soon as I get back if you find them?"

"Yes, the shrine's archives. Of course, Kagome," he replied distantly, lifting a tarp to get a view of what was underneath it. He looked…overwhelmed. Like he was seeing something he never thought he'd see. A couple of feet away, Souta had already found an ornate sword, and was reaching for it.

"Souta, don't touch that!" Souta stopped guiltily at his mother's admonishment. Mama took hold of her daughter's elbow, and began to guide her out. "I'll make sure Souta brings anything like that to the shrine office, Kagome. Now let's go. You need to get cleaned up and see Kitamura-san's niece, isn't that right?"

"Yes, Mama," Kagome sighed. "Don't forget you're coming with me, Inuyasha!" she called over her shoulder.

"Whatever," he mumbled to her retreating form as he surveyed the mounds of moldy crates. He barely noticed when Mama followed her out, leaving only himself, Souta and Jii-chan in the old hiding place. He tapped the boy on the shoulder as Souta reached for the sword again. "Do what your ma says, kid."

Souta complied, but whined. "What _can_ I look at, then?"

"Help the old man. He's looking for old papers. _Aren't_ you?" he said the last rather loudly to Jii-chan.

"Yes, yes. There are a lot of things to go through, here," he replied. He peered over at the next stack of crates, absorbed, but pleased.

Inuyasha sniffed deeply, trying to sort through the scents in the room, and coughed—damn, it smelled bad. Still, it did seem that there was a faint trace of ink somewhere, in addition to the mold and rot.

"Kid," he got Souta's attention again, "try pulling some crates out of that corner, and get the old man to go through them. Okay?"

Souta nodded enthusiastically. "Sure! We'll be sure to find them, Inu no niichan!"

"Right." With a last look, he turned and made his way out. It was probably going to be a long, boring afternoon.

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The hospital smelled of sickness and human misery, of sharp antiseptic, and other odd things outside of Inuyasha's experience. He stuck closely to Kagome as she inquired at the front desk for Miss Michiko Shibutoi's room, glowering under the bill of his cap, his hands shoved into the pockets of the oversized jacket he wore. Tessaiga bumped reassuringly at his back, discreetly hidden in the bag slung over his shoulder. He followed her as she walked past an area where a number of people were loitering to an odd set of doors, where she stopped. They stood there for about a minute.

"What are we waiting for?" he snapped, eyeing the doors. Kagome seemed to be absorbed in her thoughts, but looked up at his voice.

"The elevator." He gave her a blank look, and she continued patiently, "It's a lift, like a little room that moves, to get us to an upper floor. We have to wait for it to come back down before the doors will open." At that moment there was a sedate chiming sound, and the doors slid open. Inuyasha looked with suspicious disfavor upon the tiny closet Kagome was already stepping into, but followed her in quickly.

By the time they emerged on another floor, Inuyasha had decided they were taking another way down. He was very vocal about his displeasure at the way the tiny box moved and jerked—surely it was unsafe. Kagome just shrugged, adjusted her light wrap around her shoulders, and started down the hall, passing the nurses' station. The nurses didn't even look up as they passed by, occupied as they were. _This is a busy place,_ he thought, sliding a look at some of the people that were engaging the nurses' attention; some were obviously ill, others seemed to be people here to see sick family. Out of habit he noted where they had come from in this labyrinth.

Kagome consulted a piece of paper that she had withdrawn from the small handbag tucked under her arm, and headed off decisively in one direction. Inuyasha had no idea how she knew to navigate in here. Some distance down the hall, around a couple of corners and down another hall, she paused at a particular doorway, peering at the name on the door. "This is it," she whispered, and gestured him to follow.

Inside, a girl lay on the room's solitary bed, a strange contraption with rails on the sides. The room was fairly large, compared to some of the other rooms they had passed; there was a window at the far wall which admitted some pale northerly light from the late afternoon sun. A chair was on this side of the bed, along with a small end table holding a vase with some flowers. Fluid drained into the girl's arm from a bag suspended next to the bed on the other side and there were some wires attached to her, running to machines that blinked and beeped quietly. Her skin was pale and waxy, her mouth slightly gaping, her eyes open. She looked like a corpse already, her faint breath the only sign that she still lived. He averted his gaze uncomfortably.

Kagome looked down pityingly. "She's so young…I'll bet she's not even in seventh grade. How terrible that she's lying here like this."

Inuyasha looked down again. There were plenty of ways to die, as he well knew, but this… this was a pitiful death indeed, by inches. He felt uneasy being here, staring at someone who should have been spared this indignity.

"Why don't they just let her die?" he asked abruptly. "This isn't living."

Kagome looked at him thoughtfully. "It's not that simple. She could pull out of it next year, or tomorrow, and they can give her that time."

"Hmph." He crossed his arms, and looked away. _Not my business. Don't get involved_. "Well, don't you have to look for the reason why she's this way? Hurry it up. I don't like this place." He leaned against the doorway, preparing to wait.

"Yes, might as well get it over with." With a sigh she took the chair next to the girl's bed, and reached for her hand. As she did so Inuyasha jerked his head up. Suddenly there was a sharp smell, familiar and yet not—

"Kagome, wait—" but she had already touched the girl, and had stiffened, frowning. Her grip tightened on the girl's flaccid hand, and a look of intense concentration came over her. He moved closer to her, tensely watching them both. And then the girl's body jerked as power exploded out of her, throwing him back against the wall. Kagome screamed.

"Kagome!"

He recovered immediately and tried to get back to Kagome, but he couldn't reach her—there was some kind of force pushing him away. Wind howled out of nowhere and the contents of the room— medical equipment, furniture and all— smashed violently into the walls, swirling around the center of the chaos, the two girls.

Kagome's eyes were squeezed shut, her hands gripping the girl's shoulders as she leaned over her, kneeling on the bed. Some kind of energy crackled redly over them both. Inuyasha was able to make out malevolently glowing lines of force that ran from the girl's fingernails and disappeared through the far wall. He pulled Tessaiga out and drew it quickly, and shoved at the force to get to Kagome— he had to get her away, out of there. He succeeded in moving a foot closer, straining. Sweat beaded Kagome's brow, her face twisted in a grimace of pain, as she held the girl down on the bed. The girl's mouth was open wide in a silent scream, her eyes staring, her body convulsing.

He flung himself against the unseen wall again, beginning to panic at his lack of success.

"Kagome!" he shouted. "Get away from there!"

Kagome either didn't hear, or wasn't listening. She glowed herself, with an intense pink radiance. Slowly, it descended down her arms, to the girl's shoulders, and then began to pick up speed. Kagome's light fought back the angry scarlet, quickly enveloping the girl and forcing the energy back. When it reached the girl's fingertips, Kagome's power suddenly expanded into a globe, explosively.

The shockwave hurled Inuyasha back to slam into the wall once again. He heard the window smash as the flying debris was flung outward, and felt the wall crumble behind him as he hit, but his attention was fully on the bed at the center of the room, and he charged back toward it.

Severed from their connection with the girl, the red lines hissed and waved, looking uncomfortably like tentacles. They were striking furiously around the room and the globe of power that surrounded Kagome and the girl, trying to penetrate it— aiming, it seemed, for Kagome. He was alarmed to see that she was now slumped over the girl on the bed—was she unconscious? With a yell he jumped and swung Tessaiga at the tentacle things.

With incredible speed they writhed out of the way in every direction. He swung again, and succeeded in striking several, that shrieked as they splintered and tore— were those words, curses, in the roaring winds? He managed to hold them at bay, forcing them away from the barrier, and they did seem to be retreating. There were so many— he had difficulty tracking them all; thus he missed the one that swept around from one side and slammed with incredible force into the side of his head.

Stunned, he hit the floor hard. He desperately tried to get up but his vision wavered and darkened. He could see the things through a haze, gathering themselves at the far end of the room; he saw Kagome lift her head and stare at them. She said, low and hoarse, _"You can't have her."_

The last thing he heard, before he spiraled into darkness, was a breathy, strange, chuckling voice. _"But I will. And you will die."_

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TBC


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: Inuyasha and associated characters are the property of Rumiko Takahashi.

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**Chapter 9**

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Kagome squinted, her eyes sore and watering from the smoke billowing through the room, and tried to make out what was happening at the far wall. The howling chaos had subsided into an eerie silence, the pounding of her heart the loudest sound in her ears. Apprehension nearly as thick as the fumes choked her, and she was aware of a terrible jyaki rising. It was dark. The lights were out, and something more substantial than smoke was blocking the window over there. And worst of all, she couldn't see where Inuyasha was— _Inuyasha, where are you?_

The girl—now purified of the evil she had sensed— whimpered and twitched; Kagome held her tighter, afraid that she might somehow roll outside of the protective barrier she had put up almost by instinct. It was barely holding up to the strain of repeated assaults by their unknown assailant. Her skin burned and stung, her head ached. _That attack—it's shouki,_ she realized. Before she'd been able to force it back with a barrier she had felt the burn of miasma, as potent as Naraku's. But that hadn't been _his_ voice—

Suddenly, she saw the flailing whips of energy rushing out of the shadows again, towards her. With a yell, she flung up an arm, and light fountained out of her hand, striking the things—they hissed as her power touched them, and jerked back.

"It's futile, girl. You think _you_ can stop me from taking what I want?" The odd, low voice came from the swirling gloom, and slowly the darkness receded as weak daylight filtered through the clouds of smoke and poisonous vapor. She now saw a figure silhouetted against the faint square of the window; it glided forward a slow step or two and paused.

For a moment Kagome wondered if she was dealing with another Noh mask. Out of the murk an extremely white, sharp-featured face loomed, framed by a long fall of impossibly straight black hair. Obsidian eyes gleamed beneath the pallid brow, and the red mouth was frozen in a small, malicious smile. The effect was rigid and unnatural.

But this was no artificial construct as the mask had been. This was a powerful demon, judging from the surge of jyaki emanating from the figure. A female figure; a swift impression of formal, ornate costume flashed through Kagome's mind, elaborate and museum-perfect. Black layered upon black; red-orange patterns flickered at the hem like flames, with a thin line of scarlet burning at the V of the throat. It was flawless, and jarring in the wrecked and smoldering hospital room.

The dark eyes glittered in the red light of the energy surrounding her. "Come, give her up, miko. I might even let you live if you drop your pathetic little barrier and surrender. My patience is short."

"I told you, you can't have her. We'll stop you!" Kagome's voice was rough from the smoke she had breathed, and she was nearly exhausted. She desperately flicked a glance to the side, and through the dissipating smoke could now see Inuyasha down on the floor, struggling to raise himself up. _Inuyasha! _He still gripped Tessaiga, its enormous length glinting dully. Kagome was horrified to see that the hair on one side of his head was matted with blood, and he was moving too slowly—

"Oh, yes. You and your _dog_." The demon's still face cracked; it twisted with loathing as she directed her gaze at the hanyou. "I'm not some sniveling kit to fear a mongrel." With that she suddenly moved, flinging a burst of shouki at Inuyasha.

She cried out in warning, but somehow he brought up Tessaiga to block— the shouki burned away on contact with the sword, splashing to either side of him. Kagome shrank away instinctively though protected by her barrier, still holding up. She heard his low growl.

"You'd better be afraid of me, you damned bitch." He was on his feet now, holding the sword in a guard position, his blazing eyes not leaving the whey-faced creature. Tessaiga was changing, becoming brighter, individual glints of scales appearing along its surface. "Kagome. Grab that brat and get out of here."

"I think not. I will take my property—now." Faster than Kagome could react, the woman was moving, the whips lashing directly for her. But Inuyasha was there, leaping in front of her to intercept the blow. He wasn't quite fast enough. Some of the things evaded him to strike Kagome's barrier with a sizzle and crash that reverberated through her skull— she couldn't suppress a whimper at the jolt of pain she felt, and she felt her control slipping. But now he was rushing the demon with a furious roar, the great sword swinging in a deadly arc. The black eyes widened as Tessaiga inexorably swept towards her, despite her warding gesture— screamed as it connected—

And then nothing. She was gone.

Kagome blinked, warily keeping her battered defenses up as she probed the room with her senses, but it was clear; the only youki present was Inuyasha's. There was no longer any sign of possession in the girl either, who moaned a little, eyes tightly closed.

Inuyasha hurried to the broken window and stared out for a long moment, before spinning around, his expression reflecting anger and puzzlement. The smoke was clearing from the room swiftly now, and she winced at the destruction. Part of the back wall had blown out with the window behind him. She was suddenly aware of a siren blaring outside.

"Inuyasha?"

"She's gone. I don't know how the fuck she got away." He examined Tessaiga briefly; it lost its scaly appearance, and he sheathed it. "Tessaiga's barely warm, so I doubt I killed the bitch. She was pretty strong."

With a sigh of relief she dropped the barrier. Inuyasha quickly moved towards her, his expression concerned and intent. "Kagome. Are you hurt?"

Her dress was smudged with soot and singed by shouki, and her skin was reddened and smarting; she probably didn't look very good right now, but he looked just as bad _and _had what looked like a serious head wound. "That's my line. Let me see your head."

He snorted contemptuously, but sat down on the bed next to her anyway. "This is nothing, Kagome," he was saying as she leaned over to gently part the sticky hair below his right ear; the skin did seem to have sealed over already. "Damn that fucking bitch. You're all right?" He gripped her wrist, holding it away from him as his amber gaze pierced her. He reached up to touch her face gently with his other hand, his eyes not leaving hers.

"I'm alright, Inuyasha," she whispered, pinned by those fierce eyes.

"Um, excuse me."

Both of them looked down in surprise. The girl was awake, peering up at them in confusion. Her eyes lingered on Inuyasha's ears bemusedly. He abruptly released Kagome's arm and stood up.

Off-balance and awkward, Kagome attempted to gather her scattered thoughts, and cleared her throat. She managed to smile reassuringly down at the girl. "Ah, Michiko-kun, I presume?"

"Yes…who are you? Where are we?" She sat up, looking around the trashed room. "What happened?"

There were multiple sirens wailing outside now, and as she followed the girl's gaze to the gaping hole in the wall, it came to her suddenly that they'd been battling a monster in a _large public hospital_— police, emergency crews, firemen, _somebody_ should be here any minute to investigate the damage. She hoped the other patients had been evacuated while they had been occupied. In the meantime, she did_ not_ want to explain why the boy with her had dog ears; his cap was long gone. Her wrap was still clinging to one shoulder; she whipped it off and thrust it at Inuyasha. "Quick, cover your ears." She ignored his grumbling as she faced the girl, who looked dazed.

Kagome touched her arm to draw her attention back, and said gently, "We're in Tokyo General Hospital. You've been here for a couple of weeks, unconscious." She heard distant voices now, coming closer. Inuyasha was watching the door as he tied the shawl around his head, his expression annoyed. "I'm… a miko. Your uncle contacted me and asked me to help you. He thought you had been possessed." Her face hardened for a moment. "He was right."

Michiko stared at her, stunned, and suddenly her face crumpled and she began crying. "Yes! It said it would kill them all if I told— said it would kill me if I didn't do what it wanted—" she broke off, sobbing.

"Shh— it's all right… you're safe now…" Kagome gathered the girl into her arms, stroking her hair soothingly. The sound of men's voices coming their way was getting louder. She looked over her shoulder at Inuyasha; he was looking a little uncomfortable, arms crossed over his chest, but his ears and the blood-matted hair were adequately concealed under the wrap. He looked back at her, an eyebrow raised eloquently.

"We'll leave soon, Inuyasha. I think we're about done here."

"I'll say you are!" A sweating man—wearing a suit, not hospital scrubs— appeared in the doorway, flanked by a policeman and a fireman. She guessed he was a hospital administrator. All three gaped at the wreckage and the smoking hole that used to be the window. As they watched, a piece of masonry broke off from where it was dangling above the window, and fell, bouncing once off the bottom of the remaining window frame with a crack before tumbling outside. There were several shrieks from outside and down, and a thump when the chunk landed. All of them winced, and the suited man rounded on them angrily. "What the hell is going on here! Who are you!"

Kagome got up swiftly, placing herself in front of Inuyasha who had tensed at the perceived threat, and took a deep breath. _Miroku, if you can hear me, help me now. _She hoped to have a fraction of the cool glibness he had usually displayed. Reaching into a pocket, she pulled out a business card and offered it to the man, endeavoring to project more confidence than she felt.

"We're representatives of the Higurashi Shrine," she said as smoothly as she could. "This was an exorcism."

"An exorcism?" the man sputtered. He waved his arm at the remains of the room. "An exorcism! Tell it to the insurance company! Look at this damage! Who's going to pay for all this?"

She smiled, the picture of calm professionalism. "Our client, Mr. Kitamura."

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_This is sort of like being in the Sengoku Jidai,_ Kagome mused a couple of hours later, another paper cup of tasteless coffee warming her hands as she watched the cleanup crew coming and going from her vantage in the waiting area, near the nurses' station._ We come into the village, kill the monster, and move on— leaving the villagers to clean up the mess._ Of course, trouble had always found _them, _so it was best to move on quickly, but still…

As it turned out, they stayed a bit longer than expected. The police officer, after goggling at the room, remembered his job and asked Kagome to give him a statement about what happened. She readily agreed and she, the officer, and Inuyasha headed out to the waiting area where it was a bit quieter, though not much. The place was swarming with cops and firefighters. Michiko had been hustled off by several doctors and nurses for an examination; she gave Kagome and Inuyasha a plaintive look as she went.

While the officer went off for a few minutes to get some coffee, Kagome pulled Inuyasha aside. "Let me do the talking," she said, giving him a warning look. "I can't tell these people all the details, and I don't want them taking a good look at you either. If he asks you, say you were knocked out and didn't see anything. And _don't_ say yes if they ask if you want medical attention."

"Fine." He shrugged, disinterested. "Whatever. As long as we can get the hell out of here soon."

They were approached by an EMT, a middle-aged, motherly woman, before the officer got back with the coffee; Inuyasha refused treatment with a grunt and a shake of his head, but Kagome accepted an offer of help for the light burns and small cuts she had. As the woman calmly applied disinfectant and bandages under Inuyasha's close and suspicious scrutiny, the officer got back. He seemed a little overwhelmed, staring back in the direction if the room; he seemed to remember where he was when he looked at her and sat down slowly, belatedly handing her one of the two cups he had brought back. Regarding her cautiously, he brought out his notebook and asked her to describe what had happened.

Again she invoked Miroku, and without revealing Inuyasha's true role, she coolly composed a story as close to the bizarre truth as she could. _Why not tell at least that part of the truth?_ she thought grimly. They would find out soon enough that there was no trace of explosives or gas. It was a youkai, here in Tokyo, which had done the damage. Jii-chan would certainly feel vindicated.

It seemed that the officer was buying it, too; he was sweating and nervous after she proceeded to tell him that a powerful demon had possessed the girl and had nearly killed her, and that she, a miko, had vanquished it after a terrible struggle. Inuyasha's conspicuous yawns of boredom appeared to unnerve him further. Clearly attempting a semblance of routine professionalism, he asked for a description of the perpetrator. When she calmly told him that the demon had a chalk white face, formal black kimono, long black hair, and red magic tentacles and miasma coming out of her hands, he dropped his pen.

He managed to pick it up and feebly finish his questions, ending with their names and contact information, and fled quickly. The EMT had sat through her recital, eyes wide; when the officer got up, she did as well. She asked rather perfunctorily if either of them needed any other help, and when politely refused, she took herself off quickly.

Kagome saw her make a beeline to some hospital personnel and upon reaching them started talking excitedly with an air of urgent gossip to impart. Kagome hastily jerked her face away when the group turned as one to look at her. Embarrassment, fury and despair chased through her, and she couldn't suppress an angry sobbing breath. _It was one thing to have people stare at me in the Sengoku Jidai…but this is home...where I could just be Higurashi, another high school student. _ Her stomach churned as she thought of the way people at school had avoided talking to her today. Was this how it was going to be?

Inuyasha leaned over to peer into her face, brows furrowed in concern. "Kagome? You okay?"

"I'm fine." She had to get a grip on herself. She swallowed the sourness in her mouth, and drew a deep breath to quell the constriction in her throat. "It's nothing," she said, and forced herself to smile. His expression got darker.

"It's not fucking _nothing_," he growled. "What the hell is wrong? And don't give me that fake smiling bullshit."

She looked at her feet, ashamed, her resentment and despondency ebbing. She was getting upset over people staring at her, when _he_ had gotten hurt. "I'm sorry to worry you, Inuyasha," she whispered. "I just didn't want to be… different, here in my time."

He stared at her, then turned and looked over at the knot of people whispering and peering curiously at them. "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU STARING AT?" he snarled, glaring at them angrily. All of them recoiled, and with several frightened apologies they hurried off in different directions, scattering like a flock of chickens.

He turned back to her, ironic amusement in the set of his face. "Kagome, ignore those shitheads. Assholes like that staring at you—it's not worth worrying over."

She smiled weakly back at him. "You're right." _He would know, wouldn't he,_ she thought suddenly, and felt doubly ashamed of worrying over something as minor as being gawked at. Why should she care? She wasn't alone, after all. She beamed at him gratefully, and was gratified to see a small, fleeting smile in answer.

With a sigh, she pushed herself to her feet. "I guess we can go now, huh?"

"About damn time," he grumbled as he stood up.

No sooner had they gotten up when Mr. Kitamura, Michiko's uncle, came into view, haggard and disheveled. He headed towards them with an exclamation of relief. Inuyasha cursed, but stood and waited with Kagome for the man.

"I'm so glad you're all right! The explosion was all over the news, and I thought— but is Michiko—" He looked at Kagome almost fearfully.

"She's fine," Kagome said quickly. "You were right, Kitamura-san. It was a demon."

Kitamura staggered, his face paling, but steadied himself immediately. "But she's all right?" he asked, looking anxiously from Kagome to Inuyasha. "What happened?"

"Well, the room took some damage, but she's fine, and the demon is gone," Kagome began. "There's something you should know, Kitamura-san—"

"Uncle!" Michiko was running towards them, her face reflecting the relief on his. When she reached them he swept her up in a tight hug, his eyes squeezed shut. He set her down, and looked back at Kagome, his eyes moist. "How can I ever repay you?"

"Um, my grandfather will talk to you about that. But I think I'd better tell you—"

"Are you Kitamura?" The hospital administrator was advancing on them now irately, accompanied by two grim-faced, suited men.

"Yes?" He looked at them inquiringly, as Kagome wished she could somehow disappear.

"This…_person—"_ a wave of his hand indicated Kagome—"says that _you_ will be responsible for the damages not covered by the hospital's insurance policy. Which, I am told," and he nodded to the men with him, "will be considerable. Will you come with us to inspect the damage? Please," he added punctiliously.

Kitamura gaped at the man for a moment, and then looked rather helplessly at Kagome; she gave him an apologetic shrug. "All, all right," he mumbled, and started going with them. He looked over his shoulder. "Please wait for me, Higurashi-san. I must speak with you."

With a sigh, she nodded assent and went to get another cup of coffee. Michiko sat with them, quietly following the bustle and motion in the room, and Inuyasha perched on a chair with a curse. "I thought we were fucking leaving, Kagome."

"In a bit," she told him soothingly. "Hopefully it won't take long."

She settled down to wait, and slipped into her woolgathering about the feudal age as she watched the disturbed-anthill activity all around them. She snapped out of it when Kitamura finally appeared, looking drained. She got up, concerned.

"Kitamura-san? Are you all right?"

"Er, yes, Higurashi-san. That's…a lot of damage in the room…" he looked dazed and pale. He focused on her. "But I'm glad you're all right. All of you." He straightened up and gave her a keen look, which he slid over to Inuyasha. He looked back at her. "I would like to know the details of what happened, of course."

Kagome felt pretty drained at this point; she wanted, badly, to go home. Inuyasha snorted impatiently at her elbow. "Certainly, Kitamura-san. But…could we possibly meet at some other time to discuss it?"

He looked at her, surprise and embarrassment flitting across his face. "Of course! Forgive me, you must need rest, I've just been so worried… but yes, perhaps we can meet at your shrine. Tomorrow afternoon?"

_Another day of studying shot—and there's still the cache of treasure to go through…_ Trying not to let her resignation show, she said "Tomorrow afternoon, Kitamura-san."

"I'll be there too." Michiko's quiet voice surprised her; the girl was still sitting calmly, but her face bore a troubled expression. "I want to know what happened."

"I would like to hear what you have to say also, Michiko-kun," Kagome said quickly.

"I don't see why you can't, though it's a bit of a distance from your house. Did you want to go home tonight?" her uncle asked, a bit doubtfully. "I've spoken with your mother—she's on her way— she's anxious to take you home."

"No!" She stood up. "Uncle, please— can I stay with you?" She stared into his face, her expression fearful. "I don't ever want to go back to that house. I don't care what Mother says."

Kagome felt a frisson of reflected fear—the girl was right, though she didn't know why. "She shouldn't go back to that house, Kitamura-san. There's something wrong there."

Kitamura gave Kagome a searching look, but nodded decisively. "She can come home with me, then. It should be safe enough there." Michiko looked relieved and thankful, and he smiled at her. "I'll make excuses to your mother, dear. She can see you at my house, or not at all." His face set, he wished Kagome and Inuyasha a good evening.

Kagome took their leave then, with the promise to meet tomorrow. Inuyasha led the way at a brisk pace to a stairwell; Kagome didn't have the strength to argue about the elevator at that point anyway, and simply followed him. The stairs let out to a small garden, currently deserted, on the side of the hospital, and Kagome breathed in the cool night air thankfully. It was later than she thought; the dark was broken by the flickers of red and yellow lights from the police and emergency vehicles still present, and the floodlights of media trucks that had pulled up beyond them. Kagome shuddered, relieved that they had escaped before reporters had gotten into the building.

"Come on, Kagome." Inuyasha bent his knees, indicating his back. "Let's go home."

Gratefully, she climbed onto his back, and held on to his strong, solid shoulders; getting a firm grip on her legs, he sprang off into the night. She let herself sink into the warmth of his back, maintaining a good hold on the folds of his jacket, and was soothed by the familiarity and security of this mode of transport.

"Thank you, Inuyasha," she mumbled into his hair, as he touched down on a rooftop and launched himself again, a smooth repetition of leaps that ate the miles. How many miles had he carried her over the years? He was still carrying her, through danger and even her own weakness.

He bent his head slightly to briefly peer at her over his shoulder. "For what?" His attention returned to the next rooftop on their course.

"For coming with me…for being with me." Her eyelids were drooping, the warmth and comfort of his back sabotaging her efforts to stay alert and awake.

"Keh! You're an idiot if you think I'd let you go off by yourself to fight demons." His arms tightened around her legs, just a bit, and he shoved off the ledge he had lighted on with more force than necessary. They sailed through the night air, wind whistling, and Kagome smiled.

"I didn't mean just tonight." She closed her eyes, leaning her forehead against the back of his neck. "For all the times you've been there with me. Thank you."

They landed on the next rooftop, but instead of bounding on to the next, Inuyasha stopped, and slid her off his back gently. Surprised, she stood still as he turned to face her. And abruptly grabbed her in a fierce hug.

"I'll be with you as long as you want me to be," he growled in her ear, his arms tight around her. She tightened her arms in answer, and swallowed.

"Then stay with me forever."

The bright lights of Tokyo illuminated most of the skyline, but in the shadows of the rooftop they failed to gleam on the pair that kissed, wrapped in each other's arms, for a long time before regretfully pulling apart. Eyes shining in the dark, he offered his back and she climbed on, and they resumed their journey home.

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TBC

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A/N: For those not following events in the most current manga, the attack Inuyasha used is the "Dragon-scaled Tessaiga".


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: Inuyasha and associated characters are the property of Rumiko Takahashi.

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**Chapter 10**

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_Interlude: Sengoku Jidai_

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Miroku leaned on his staff, and rested for a moment, hoping his dizziness would abate. The walk out here had not been _that_ strenuous. He hated feeling this helpless, and it had been two weeks now since the battle. He was healing, but not fast enough for his taste.

His head finally cleared, and he became aware that his palm stung where it rubbed against the staff. Shifting the staff to the crook of his arm, he lifted his hand to look at it for the thousandth time, in wonder and disbelief. A circular patch of skin in the center of his palm was as soft and tender as a baby's, and now red in irritation, in contrast to the rough and calloused flesh around it. But it had the normal creases one would find on anyone's hand.

_I have a future_, he thought, gazing at the lines of fate. Before, the lines of his palm had disappeared into the circle of the air void, and had not emerged from it. Now, a destiny was hinted at in the crinkles and grooves of the head line, the heart line, and especially the long and deep life line, all extending across his palm.

The loops and crosshatchings of the heart line reminded him of the reason he had struggled out here, past the bounds of the village. Sango.

He was deeply worried about her. She had been prepared for so long for the loss of Kohaku, yet when it came it was devastating. Sango's silent mourning had visibly weighed on her, and, he feared, might be impeding her recovery.

The consequent disappearance a week ago of Inuyasha and Kagome—particularly Kagome, her confidant—had been a further blow to Sango. She had no family to attend their upcoming marriage ceremony, just their little group—the only family she had. She had spoken of delaying the ceremony if their friends did not return in time from Kagome's land. _That_ did not sit well with him at all, for more than the obvious reasons.

Miroku had a bad feeling about the well. Its unusual properties could be discerned by those with training, though he had to admit he wouldn't have given it a second glance before seeing Kagome disappear down it that first time. He had feared the worst after seeing Inuyasha shove her into it, and had been astounded to discover it was actually a _portal._ One that Inuyasha, at least, seemed to be able to traverse easily.

However, after Shippou's hysterical, nearly incoherent account of Inuyasha's struggle to follow Kagome down the well, and their failure to reappear afterwards, he and Kaede had come out here and examined it. Both had reached the same conclusion: the well felt subtly different. What that meant, however, was subject to interpretation.

He wasn't exactly sure how Kaede felt about it—she had kept her conjectures mostly to herself, not wishing to trouble the others. _He_ had the sensation of… a purpose fulfilled, perhaps. A balance that had been achieved. And that, he thought privately, boded ill for the return of their friends.

He limped forward again, as quietly as he could, and took care to remain behind the cover of the scrubby bushes that dotted the meadow. He stopped behind one he had frequently used to spy on doings at the well, and peered around it cautiously.

Sango was sitting beside the well on the soft new grass of spring, Kirara's small form curled next to her, as she mended her taijiya armor. It had been breached with a number of slashes during their fight with Naraku, and she worked on one now, sewing the leather closed with tiny, precise stitches. She appeared to be wholly absorbed in her task, but he carefully did not move, not wishing to be noticed yet. She had come out here every day, in company with Shippou, and waited for Kagome and Inuyasha to return.

He frowned slightly. Shippou was not in evidence. That was unusual, and Miroku by long habit made note of anything unusual. The two of them had been fixated on the well for days, and he wondered what might have altered the kitsune child's routine. Certainly Shippou was pining for both Kagome and Inuyasha.

While he preferred that Sango not be out here at all while she was recovering from her injuries, it eased his mind that she and Shippou were in one place and could watch out for each other. True, Inuyasha had killed or driven off most of the hostile youkai in the area, but something could have moved in. Alert and observant as Sango was, even she could be taken by surprise…

"See something you like, houshi-dono?" came an amused voice behind him.

He almost dropped his staff, even as irritation at his own startlement flashed through him. He turned to Kaede, struggling to present a calm expression as he faced the old miko.

"Can you doubt it, Kaede-sama?" He turned his head slightly to view Sango; she had not moved or indicated that she had noticed them. He allowed his concern to show in his voice as he glanced back at Kaede. "And yet, this vigil at the well…that I'm not sure I like."

The old woman stepped up beside him, her face settling into its usual seriousness as she peered in its direction. Under her arm was a collecting basket containing bundles of freshly picked herbs; the scent of the plants that rose to his nostrils reminded him of sickness, and did not comfort him despite their pleasantness. She toyed with some of the leaves as she regarded Sango.

"It troubles me also." She was silent for a few moments; a light breeze blew, carrying with it the faint intermittent song of birds from the nearby forest. She turned to the monk, peering at him with her one eye. "Kagome and Inuyasha have been gone for a week. That is not so long. And yet…"

"They would have come back by now, if they could," he finished. "I think so. But perhaps there is some problem on the other end, in Kagome-sama's land, that is delaying them." He sounded unconvinced, even to himself. In an even lower voice, he added, "Or perhaps it is something more…permanent."

Kaede shook her head, her face somber. "It is too early to say." She kept her voice low as well. "But this," and she pointed at the taijiya, "is not healthy, either way. If they come back, we will know. There is no reason to wait here." She regarded Miroku steadily, pain visible on her weathered face. "And if they are gone, we will miss them, but we will go on, just as Kagome and Inuyasha will go on wherever they are."

He should not have been surprised by the sharp stab of grief he felt at hearing the words finally spoken, that the two might be gone forever. He had drifted through life, and had worked hard to have as few attachments as possible, as was proper for a monk. And yet somehow, like Sango, he had come to regard the others in their tightly-knit little group as his family. Inuyasha's strength and persistence had enabled all of them to see their quest through to the end; Kagome's kindness and optimism had been the glue that held their group together through darkness and disagreement. If they were gone, their little family was sundered.

_But we will remember them, and go on. And we will make our own family._

"I have been thinking," he said carefully, "that when we are recovered a bit more, say, after we are married, that Sango and I should travel to my master Mushin's temple, see how he is, and stay for a while. I'd like to tell him that my curse is broken, at least. And when we get back, perhaps Inuyasha and Kagome will have returned." He stared at Sango, whose face and posture bespoke her melancholy even as she bent in concentration over her work.

Kaede grunted in agreement. "It may be good for her to be away from reminders from the past, for the time being."

"She has mentioned delaying the wedding."

"Hmm. I am not sure that is a good idea." The old woman rubbed her chin speculatively. "I don't suppose you think so either, houshi-dono."

"Well, no." He allowed himself a small smile. "I have been waiting for some time to marry Sango, you see."

Kaede chuckled. "Yes, I see. Perhaps I can talk to her about it tonight." She paused, her face regaining seriousness, and she looked away, to the well and Sango again. "Though I won't press her. She could be right, and they could be back tomorrow."

_If only they would be. _He held hope, as they all did, but he was a pragmatic man. He sighed. "You know that I want Inuyasha and Kagome-sama as witnesses to our marriage as much as she. I know that they wouldn't miss it if at all possible. I will wait if that is what she wishes. But I think," he stared at the old well, silently keeping its secrets, "that we would wait for a long time."

She nodded, her face grave. They stood in silence again for a moment, before she drew in breath to sigh. "We have another to worry about. Have you seen Shippou?"

"No, I haven't, actually." He looked at her keenly. "I had thought he'd be here."

"So had I, and I am concerned that he is not. I came this way to check on both of them." She looked troubled. "He's been acting strangely."

"How so, Kaede-sama?"

"He's been insisting that they will come back, just as Sango has, which is why they've been waiting at the well together. Yesterday, though, he seemed more…angry. That they were staying away on purpose." Her expression was uneasy. "And this morning, when I asked him if he was going to the well as usual, he didn't want to tell me. He was evasive, as if he had a secret to keep."

_Hmm. Unusual. Especially for Shippou, who is terrible at keeping secrets._ He frowned. _The poor little fellow is having a hard time of it. I will need to sit down and have a serious talk with him._

"I'll keep an eye out for him, Kaede-sama, and ask Sango if she's seen him." He sighed. "At any rate, we should see him tonight for dinner—he won't miss that. We can pry the story out of him then."

She waved in acknowledgement and turned away, heading back in the direction of the village, while he stepped out and began heading for Sango. The heaviness of his thoughts lightened when she looked up and smiled, the sorrow clearing from her pale countenance. His hopes rose; perhaps her recovery could be hastened, if he could only distract her from the painful near past. And he could think of several distractions that she might benefit from…

"Miroku!" She had gotten up, and regarded him with hands on hips; a stern look warred with the grin that twitched at her lips and was losing. "You should be resting."

"Ah, but I would rather rest with you, my love," he teased, and the grin lit her eyes. She walked towards him, the mending forgotten. Kirara got up, yawning, and gave him a knowing look.

The smile on the face of the woman he loved was because of him, and for him, and his heart swelled. As he approached, he curled his hand, fingering the lines of fate on his palm again. _**We** have a future_. He swung his staff jauntily as he walked towards her, and forgot about all but the delightful prospects of the present.

TBC


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: Inuyasha and associated characters are the property of Rumiko Takahashi.

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**Chapter 11**

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Breakfast was unremarkable, if only because all the drama had occurred on their return, quite late, the previous evening. The family had all watched the news and seen the smoking hole in the side of the hospital. Mama had been relieved that they were finally home, and had gently reproached Kagome for not calling. Jii-chan had been apoplectic with worry and had interrogated them without mercy about what had happened. Souta had been allowed to stay up until their return, and had excitedly demanded details on the monster they had fought. Now, of course, he was bleary eyed at the table, and picked at his breakfast. Kagome did the same, not really hungry, and smiled at the hanyou sitting across from her. He met her eyes briefly before looking away, one side of his mouth quirked up in a tiny smile.

By unspoken agreement, Inuyasha accompanied Kagome on her way to school. Their steps were slow; she had gotten up early enough that she had no need to hurry, and she savored the time spent with him. The lowering sky was grey and oppressive, the air chilly, but that didn't shake Kagome's euphoria. This morning, nothing could. Final exams, university acceptance—even her newest, unsought role as 'exorcist'— it all seemed remote, all outcomes were assured success. For wasn't Inuyasha with her? She couldn't keep the silly grin off her face.

Inuyasha seemed to be in like condition—a small smile persisted uncharacteristically on his lips, to her secret delight. They had walked almost all of the way to her school before she could wrench her giddy brain out of the clouds and bring up the rather less exciting thought of her afternoon meeting.

"I'll try to be quick getting home after school, Inuyasha," she was saying, speaking louder to be heard over the roar of a passing bus. They walked closely, an occasional gentle bump of the arms or shoulders keeping them nearly in contact while they walked. "Kitamura-san and Michiko-kun said they'd be over right after, and I want to make sure Jii-chan doesn't talk to them first."

"So what if he does?" Inuyasha asked, covering his nose with a sleeve against the cloud of exhaust fumes. He grimaced in distaste, glaring at the bus before flicking a glance back to her. "You told him everything last night. It's not like he'll be surprised by anything those two tell him."

"It's more like what _he'll_ tell _them_. He might forget and start spouting off about youkai." She rolled her eyes.

"So?" He frowned, focusing on her, but didn't stop walking.

"Hello? No one's supposed to know _you're_ a youkai, remember?" She gave him a quick teasing grin.

He snorted. "Like they'd know what that is. Kagome, much as I've been around this realm the last couple of years, nobody ever seems to figure out that I'm not a human." Even now, dressed in his red fire-rat clothes, a baseball cap feebly disguising only the most obvious of his youkai characteristics, he was garnering only an occasional odd look on the busy street. Most passersby didn't even spare him that much. "Even those friends of yours thought I was foreign, not youkai." He sounded a little disgruntled at that.

She laughed at the memory; even upon subsequent meetings, her junior-high friends never thought there was anything especially odd about Inuyasha. "You're right. But they did all think you were pretty cool, you know."

"Keh. Who cares what a bunch of girls think." He was staring straight ahead, but she thought he looked pleased.

"Well, I liked that they agreed with me." She smiled as he glanced back at her. Yeah, he did look pleased. "Anyway, we have to be careful in what we tell people about you. There's too much that's hard to explain."

"Fine, whatever." He looked grumpy now. "But you're probably wasting your time worrying, Kagome. The girl saw me without the hat, remember?"

"Oh! That's right." Kagome thought for a moment, chewing her lip. "Well, maybe she'll think she was seeing things. She _had_ been unconscious before that, and things were pretty weird."

"Yeah, you could say that." Now _he_ rolled his eyes, and sighed. "So you want me to keep them away from the old man before you get home?"

"Sure, if you can." She gave him a dubious look. "How would you do that?"

"Well, your grandpa will probably be drooling all over that stuff we found out back. I was going to move it today, anyway."

She brightened. "Oh, that's perfect, Inuyasha. He was so happy that we found his father's things. And I'll feel better knowing that he won't have to go behind the well house to get to them, he might get hurt. Where are you moving them to?"

He shrugged. "I was talking to him about it last night. Once he calmed down, I mean. He said the well house would be a good place to put the stuff for now."

They were nearing the entrance gate to her high school; her fellow students passed them in ones and twos, sometimes sparing a curious glance at the two of them. She took his hand briefly.

"I have to go," she murmured, wishing she dared to kiss him in public. "See you after school."

"Yeah." He squeezed her hand gently and let go, smiling again. "Don't worry, I'll take care of it."

"Okay," and she smiled back at him, the giddy feeling returning. She went in to class with a light heart, already counting the minutes before she could see him again.

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It was near midday when Inuyasha set down the last crate with a sense of accomplishment, lining it up with the rest of the boxes and assorted junk he'd retrieved from the long-hidden cache in back of the well house. His eyes slid over to one wooden trunk in particular that he'd placed nearer the door, and narrowed in speculation. Now that it was away from the overpowering smell of damp and rot that permeated the buried hiding place, the acrid reek of decaying paper was obvious. There was more than one box that smelled of paper, but this one seemed the most promising.

He stepped over to it purposefully, but then hesitated, frowning. The trunk sat mutely before him; what sort of secrets did it hold? Would he find unpleasant truths, or worse, nothing at all about their friends left behind? The thought of disappointing Kagome, with bad news or anything else, did not appeal to him; maybe he should wait for her and they could find out together.

That idea lasted all of three seconds._ Dammit, I'm not going to sit around and wait_, he thought impatiently. Whatever was in it couldn't be worse than not knowing. Faint echoed whispers of sound from outside chuckled hollowly in the well behind him, and he shuddered slightly, skin crawling. He shook himself with a curse, and hunkered down in front of the trunk.

It was held closed with a padlock, similar to one of those that had secured the door on the dug-out hole in the bluff in back. There didn't seem to be any protections on the trunk, so he reached for the lock and crushed it easily. He brushed off the bits of rusty fragments from his hand, and lifted the lid.

A cloud of the acidic paper smell, mixed with dust, rose to his face and he sneezed violently. Holding his breath for a moment, he let the air settle and examined what lay before him. The trunk was filled nearly to the top with square bundles of paper. Some of the bundles within view were tied with twine, and a loose layer of scrolls lay across the top of them. He pulled one of the thick bundles out and looked at it in curiosity, but the writing was crabbed and difficult to read. It had been afflicted with mildew at some point in its past; the faint black spots were dry and faded now. With a frown, he set it aside and poked tentatively through the pile of scrolls.

The action of disturbing the paper brought another cloud of dust and reek, but this time it also brought a faint smell that pierced his memory: the smell of the waxy colored sticks that Kagome had brought Shippou, the ones he used to draw with.

He breathed through his mouth to suppress further sneezing, and dug through the pile, tasting the odd scent. He brought up a thick roll of perhaps twenty or thirty largish sheets of paper, the kind Kagome had brought along with the colored sticks for the kit. It was held closed with a paper ribbon, and on the edge of the outermost roll he found a scrawl in ink: 'Shippou'.

The paper was brown and brittle, and chunks of it had fallen off all along the edges of the roll. The outermost sheet was in the worst shape from the looks of it. Inuyasha removed the ribbon and laid the roll over the top of the flat-topped crate next to the trunk, and carefully unrolled it.

The inmost sheet was in much better shape that the one on the outside; it had browned and discolored slightly, but was mostly still white. It was an ink drawing of a single, dead tree, and he recognized it as one that stood just outside the boundaries of the village, on the way to the well. He used to lounge in that tree, waiting for Kagome.

He stared at it, his thoughts suffused with an inarticulate regret. The drawing was quite good, he had to admit. Shippou had demonstrated an obvious talent for drawing, which Kagome had encouraged by bringing him ink and watercolor paints once it was clear that he was outgrowing the colored sticks. She had been lavish in her praise of the runt, and he had basked in her attentions. Who would have taken notice of such things when Kagome was gone?

Damn. With a sigh Inuyasha began to leaf through the sheets, letting them coil back into tight rolls as he peeled them off for a cursory look. The topmost ones were ink wash and watercolor drawings much like the first—bamboo, pine branches, things like that. He knew that Miroku had been encouraging the boy in this type of art after pointing out similar pieces hanging in the alcoves of rich men's homes that they had…exorcised. Miroku had actually managed to trade one of Shippou's drawings once to a traveling merchant in exchange for some supplies, after persuading the runt to part with one. His scribblings were that good.

He skipped down to the bottom of the pile, to find the wax stick drawings he had smelled. He remembered some of these. Much more childish than the ink drawings, they were exuberant cartoons of…all of them. There he was, a scowling splash of red next to a smiling Kagome in green. Miroku, Sango, Kaede, and Kirara were represented in various poses or actions, sitting, walking or flying across the pages.

Inuyasha's face stilled as he looked down at them. Kagome was going to take one look at this shit and start crying. Maybe he'd better bury it under some of the other stuff. They should be looking for something more useful first.

He ought to go through them, though. Just in case there was something important. Angrily swallowing against the tightness in his throat, he slowly leafed through the pile, noting a nice ink drawing of Miroku, one of Sango and the well, and then paused on the next one. Its subject was a girl he didn't recognize. He snorted. Shippou was as obsessed with females as Miroku, but in his own, more innocent way. How many times had Shippou gotten them off track because he thought some girl needed rescuing? This one looked to be maybe ten or twelve, with a solemn expression; ink brushstrokes suggested straight hair hanging loose over her shoulders. Inuyasha thought back to the girls in the village, but she didn't resemble any of the ones he shrugged to himself, and flipped through the rest of the drawings quickly. There was nothing else of any particular interest.

He rolled the sheets back into a compact bundle and held it in his hand, tapping it against the edge of the trunk lightly while he looked in. This looked like a really boring job, come to think of it. He'd had the idea that it would be easy to pick out things written by Kaede or Miroku by scent; he now realized it was ridiculous to think that a touch-scent like that would linger for so long. He was resigning himself to a long afternoon of squinting at scribbles when he heard steps outside.

"Inuyasha-kun? Are you in here?" He looked up to see Mama sliding the well house door open. She saw him and smiled. "Would you like some lunch?"

He glanced back at the trunk. Ah, it could definitely wait. He stuck the roll of paper to the bottom of the loose pile of scrolls. "Sure," he replied, getting up and following her out.

"It looks like you've done a lot this morning," she said as they walked to the house. She glanced over at him inquiringly.

"I guess." He folded his hands in his sleeves. "All of the stuff is moved out of that hole."

"Wonderful! Jii-chan will be so pleased."

It occurred to Inuyasha that he hadn't seen the old man since he first started moving things this morning. Jijii had been hovering, concerned about possible breakage of absolutely irreplaceable artifacts, and generally being an annoying pain in the ass before suddenly disappearing for the rest of the morning.

Inuyasha felt compelled to ask despite himself. "Where is he, anyway?"

Mama's brow crinkled. "In the house eating lunch, I hope. I called him before I went looking for you." She looked slightly disapproving. "He's been in the shrine office all morning, on the telephone. I think he's having a little too much excitement for a man his age. And he's just getting over that wretched flu, no less."

"Oh." Whatever all that meant.

They reached the kitchen door and stepped inside, to find Jijii heartily slurping down a bowl of miso. He set it down with a satisfied grunt as Inuyasha sat cautiously opposite him.

"Inuyasha-kun is done moving the treasures, Jii-chan," smiled Mama, bringing a serving dish of stir-fried vegetables and rice to the table. Jijii regarded him with suspiciously good humor as he took a bowl from his daughter-in-law.

"Thank you, my boy. After lunch I'll have to come down and start going through them. I've spent enough time talking to people. What a great day for the shrine!" He rubbed his hands together, cackling, before picking up his chopsticks.

Mama and Inuyasha exchanged mystified glances, before Inuyasha shrugged and began eating. Mama picked at her food for a moment before asking.

"Er, Jii-chan. Who have you been talking to?"

"Who _haven't_ I talked to? The Shrine Association is in an uproar!" he cackled again. "Apparently, the police have not been able to determine the cause of the damage at the hospital. They've gone so far as to call several members of the Association, trying to disprove that it could have been a youkai!"

"Have you talked the police yourself?" Mama asked, wide-eyed.

"Not yet," he admitted. "What I've heard so far is that some scholars at the University have allowed that it's not 'out of the realm of possibility' that some evil creature possessed that girl. They won't say anything about the damage." He smacked his hand on the table, glaring at both of them. "When will people realize that dangerous youkai are not just old myths?"

Inuyasha snorted a laugh into his bowl.

Jijii glowered at him, and then subsided with a crooked smile. "Well, _you_ have a right to laugh, boy. Living proof of the youkai around us. But anyway," he continued gloatingly, "the reputation of the Higurashi Shrine is rising to the heavens. The knowledgeable and wise are certainly becoming aware of Kagome's accomplishment! I have received a number of admiring and congratulatory phone calls, and even more importantly, daughter—" he gave her a significant look— "even a couple of discreet inquiries as to Kagome's marital status. It seems" and he lowered his voice conspiratorially, "that at least one priestly family—_a quite powerful and well-placed family_—may be interested in arranging a match."

Inuyasha choked abruptly and began coughing. Mama shot a concerned glance at him, and asked, "What did you tell them?" She got up to slap Inuyasha's back when he continued to cough rice out of his windpipe.

"I didn't tell them anything definite, it's much too early in the game. But the intermediary was pleased to hear that she's not already engaged, of course. Kagome being so beautiful, talented, and powerful, any family would be eager to have her, not just a priestly family trying to improve their weakening bloodline." He grinned smugly. "Did I say well-placed? It was hinted that this family had connections to the Imperial Palace! Can you imagine the advantages that such an arrangement would bring to this shrine? Not to mention the wealth and comfort it could mean for Kagome."

Inuyasha was on his feet and looming over him, seething with rage. "This had better be a fucking joke, _old man,"_ he growled. Jijii looked up at him, frowning, and opened his mouth, but was cut off before he could say a word.

"I agree. And it's in _very _poor taste if it is." Mama was standing at his shoulder, clearly furious. He turned his head to stare at her, astonished.

"What's wrong with you two?" Jijii looked uneasy now, and got up to face them. "It's not like I could make her marry someone she didn't like, even if I would ever do that to my precious granddaughter! All it means is an introduction, and then seeing what happens."

"Jii-chan." Mama seemed to be trying to contain herself, but her face was as dark as a stormcloud. "How could you even contemplate such a thing? Kagome will be mortified!"

"What?" the old man quavered. "So I received an honorable offer, and not from just anybody! There's no harm in it, and there could be a lot to gain. Connections with the Imperial Palace shouldn't be taken lightly!"

"You should have refused right away." Mama towered menacingly over Jijii, her fists clenched. Inuyasha, momentarily diverted from his own outrage, was transfixed. He'd never seen her this angry. It was kind of scary, like when Kagome got _really_ mad. "No one arranges marriages these days except for the desperate parents of old maids and confirmed bachelors. Kagome's not even out of high school!"

"But—"

"But nothing." Visibly getting a grip on herself, she glared at the old man. "This is far and away the worst idea I've ever known you to entertain. You are going to get on the phone right now and refuse that offer."

"But think of the shrine!" he burst out, wilted but still defiant. "Think of her future!"

"Think of Kagome, too embarrassed to show her face at school if word gets out. Think of how angry she'll be. Think of how hard she's worked to get into college," Mama countered. "She has her own plans for her future, Jii-chan. Don't interfere with them."

"Very well," he grumbled. "You have a point. I know she'll do well at whatever she puts her mind to." He tottered out, muttering, and tossed over his shoulder, "I'm coming back for my lunch. Make sure that boy leaves some for me."

Mama watched him leave, her expression stern, before turning to Inuyasha. He stared at her with mingled relief, residual anger, and appreciation.

"Inuyasha. Don't worry." She smiled, but her voice had an edge to it. "Nothing will come of this. I'll make sure of it."

He crossed his arms and looked away. "Who says I'm worried? The old man's crazy."

"He certainly has allowed some things to go to his head," she said grimly. He looked back at her in surprise, to see that she still looked angry. Her face cleared when she saw his expression. "I think Kagome knows best how she wants to arrange her life. I just can't see her making any plans that don't include you." Mama winked encouragingly, and stalked off.

_Whoa._ He stood for a moment and stared after her, before giving himself a little shake to relieve his tension. The little house felt suffocating. He made his way outside, where the sky was dismal and threatening rain. The whole idea, of Kagome being married off like that, was fucking ridiculous. Laughable. She'd never stand for it. And she'd said, over and over, that she would stay with him. And the old man would tell them to buzz off now, anyway.

And yet…in the back of his mind, a cold whispered thought gnawed at him. He was a hanyou; he had nothing. If anything, he had even less here in her world than he had back on the other side of the well. If there was someone out there who had so much to offer her and her family, someone who truly valued her…

Any man like that wouldn't let the first refusal put him off. Look at how that fucking wolf Kouga had sniffed around her for so long.

He clenched his fists, feeling the prick of his claws in his palms. _Fuck_. With a vicious growl he leaped off into the thick of the trees, to think, shredding bark and leaves in violent passage as he sought the darkest, deepest patch in the pathetic remnants of the old forest. He wasn't even conscious of the rain that had begun to fall.

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Kagome hurried her way home through slick streets, even in her rush to get back feeling as though she were floating on a cloud of dreamy contentment. She really seemed to be getting her momentum back in her studies, and if she could maintain it she shouldn't have a problem passing final exams. She had already taken her university entrance exams, so there was nothing to do there but wait—but right now, she couldn't imagine failure. Nobody had stared or whispered at school. _That only means that the media hasn't made the connection between the shrine and the hospital yet,_ she thought darkly, before pushing the thought away. No brooding over that, not today. She felt too good. And best of all, Inuyasha was waiting for her at home.

She saw him as she reached the top of the stairs from the street, out of breath. He waited for her, arms crossed; his expression was stern and distant, though that hardly discouraged her. She beamed at him as she came closer, and his expression softened a bit.

"Inuyasha!" she gasped, slinging her bookbag off her back and to her feet. "Are they here already? Where's Jii-chan?"

He reached down to pick up her bag. "No, they're not here. And the old man is in the well house, just as I said he would be."

"Oh. Well, that's good." She sucked in air, trying to catch her breath, and he waited patiently. She looked up at him when she was finally breathing easier; he was studying her intently, amber eyes serious. She noticed his clothes were wet; but then again, he didn't believe in umbrellas. "Did you find anything good back there in the hiding place?"

"Maybe." He shifted, looking off towards the shrine, and the well house past it. "There's a trunk full of papers, but I haven't really looked at it yet." They started walking forward slowly, to the house. She frowned slightly; his manner was unusually subdued.

"Is everything okay?" she asked, glancing at him.

He didn't look at her. "Of course, woman."

They continued in silence. Kagome was confused by his abrupt taciturnity, especially after the words exchanged last night, but she was used to his moods. She tried again. "So, did you get all that stuff moved?"

"Yep."

"That's great!" She looked over at him, and unaccountably he was frowning slightly, and not looking at her. "Isn't it?"

"Why wouldn't it be?" He still wasn't looking her in the eye. At that moment she heard her name called. Mama had emerged from the house, and was headed towards them.

"I'll put your stuff in the house," Inuyasha said shortly. He bounded forward, past Mama, who turned her head to look at him before turning back to Kagome. He disappeared through the front door.

_Odd. Wonder what's eating him,_ she thought. Mama was advancing on her with a serious expression; maybe she knew something. But before she had gotten more than a few steps closer she heard her name called again, this time from behind.

"Higurashi-sama!"

She turned around, and sure enough, it was Kitamura and Michiko. She stopped and waited politely, and they reached her slightly before her mother did.

"Higurashi-sama. So good of you to meet with us," Kitamura said, bowing respectfully. He had what seemed to be his perpetually haggard look, but he wore a cheerful expression today. He was a bit out of breath.

"It's no trouble at all," Kagome assured him.

Michiko bowed too, looking a bit awed as she glanced at the main shrine building. They both looked up as Mama arrived behind Kagome.

She introduced her mother, and they exchanged polite greetings. Mama volunteered that she would go to fetch the head priest, and walked in the direction of the well house as Kagome led their visitors to the shrine office.

Kagome covertly studied Michiko as she got them settled in the chairs by Jii-chan's desk, and set about making some tea as they waited for him. The girl looked much better than she had yesterday; her face, though still pale, was animated with curiosity as she looked around the office. No trace of the evil that had possessed her lingered, and Kagome let out a quiet sigh of relief.

"Did you have a restful night, Michiko-kun?" she asked, setting a cup of tea deftly in a clear space in front of the girl, returning with another cup for her uncle.

"Oh, yes, Higurashi-sama." The girl nodded eagerly. "Thank you so much for your concern."

Kagome sat down to wait for Jii-chan…what was taking him so long, anyway? "And is your family all right? Anything happen with the house?"

"Um…" Michiko looked down, twirling a lock of hair around her finger. "Father is away on business. Mother seems to be fine. She was angry that I didn't want to come home."

"She wanted to drag Michiko home," put in Kitamura, leaning forward earnestly, "but we both told her what you said, that there was something wrong with the house, and she finally agreed to let her stay with me until the problem is…settled."

"What did she mean by that?" asked Kagome curiously.

"She wants to hire you to exorcise the house," Kitamura replied, and sipped his tea.

"But…" Kagome was stunned. She'd never exorcised a house—that was always Miroku! "Why doesn't she get a Buddhist priest?"

Kitamura set down his cup and looked at her sternly. "Why should she, when none of the ones who tried to were successful in helping Michiko?"

Michiko scrunched down in her chair, looking a little embarrassed. "That's exactly what she said, Higurashi-sama."

"And it's a very good reason, if you ask me!" Jii-chan finally made his appearance; behind him, in the doorway, was a reluctant-looking Inuyasha. He was being pushed by Mama, who winked at Kagome and shut the door behind him before taking her leave. Jii-chan made his way to his chair, behind the desk, while Inuyasha leaned against the wall with an aggrieved expression, his eyes shadowed by the bill of the cap.

Michiko had brightened when she saw him, and straightened out of her slouch. "Oh! Hello, Inuyasha-san!" He nodded to her, his expression unchanged. She rose and bowed when introduced to Jii-chan. When all of these greetings were accomplished and everyone had tea (except Inuyasha, who refused with a grunt) Jii-chan cleared his throat and got down to business.

"Kitamura-san, I understand there were some…unexpected expenses involved in the exorcism," he began.

The man nodded, looking doleful. "My sister has volunteered to pay some of the damages, and it's possible that the hospital's insurance may cover part of it as well. Still, it's going to be a hefty hit to the wallet."

"Well. You will agree that it was a dangerous enterprise for Kagome and her companion, yes?" Jii-chan narrowed his eyes as Kitamura nodded vigorously. "And now you want her to take on an additional commission, one that may be equally if not more dangerous. It's up to her if she wants to do it," and he nodded to her, "but the fee will go up accordingly. Now," and he brought out copies of the documents that Kitamura had signed, "we agreed to a small initial fee for a diagnosis, but Kagome actually effected a full exorcism…" The two men bent over the documents; Kitamura offered some argument, and they began a long debate.

Kagome quickly lost interest, and her eyes slid by their own volition to Inuyasha. Their eyes met, and he looked away uncomfortably. Michiko, apparently as bored with the men's conversation as Kagome, turned to her, smiling as she pulled her chair closer.

"Higurashi-sama, I hope you and Inuyasha-san will help us. I'm sure Mother would be willing to pay. Even if she does it just to shut up everybody talking about the house," and she scowled.

"Why, what are they saying, Michiko-kun?" Kagome suppressed a sigh. If only this was over with, and she could find out what was bothering Inuyasha…

"Well, even before we moved in," the girl began, "people around the area were saying we were fools for moving into a cursed house. It had been the manor of a samurai family a long time ago, but they all died, or something. They told us when we moved in that there was something awful sealed in it."

Michiko had Kagome's full attention now, as well as Inuyasha's. He moved away from the wall and squatted by Kagome's chair, focused on the girl. "Something sealed?" she asked. "Do you know what it was supposed to be?"

"Some terrible demon, that a whole bunch of priests died to seal in there," and the girl shivered. "I believe it. Mother doesn't. Not even now, I think, not really."

"Michiko," Kagome said carefully, "you said some interesting things last night when you woke up." The girl's expression had changed, becoming grave, almost fearful. Beside them, Jii-chan and Kitamura were obliviously arguing about large amounts of yen. "You said it promised to kill them all if you told. What told you that?"

The girl's eyes were starting to fill with tears, and she wrung her hands in her lap. "It was always just a voice. No one else heard it." Kagome reached into the pocket of her school uniform for her handkerchief, and gave it to the younger girl, who dabbed at her eyes and nodded thanks. "I thought I was going crazy, hearing that voice. It was horrible. But things happened when it said they would—it hit me with things all the time, so I knew it was real."

The men had stopped talking, and stared over at her. Kitamura reached over and put a comforting hand on her shoulder. Michiko drew a deep breath and continued.

"So when it said it could hurt us—kill us—I believed it. If it could pick up heavy pieces of furniture and make them fly around the room, it could easily pick up a knife in the kitchen and kill us in our beds." She sobbed, overcome now. "And Mother _still_ won't leave!"

Kagome gripped the girl's shoulders and gave her a little shake. "But what do you know of this thing? What is it? Did it give you a name?" The girl shook her head.

"It never gave a name. It always talked about death." She looked down. "Awful whispers, always about death in the dark, and that they all were killed without mercy."

"Who were killed?"

"I don't know. The voice said it hadn't finished hunting them all down, and it wants to get free to do it." Michiko looked back up at Kagome. "It wanted me to free it, so it could leave. It's sealed somewhere in the building, and it wanted me to destroy the things that hold it there. I wouldn't do it. I was afraid of it, but I didn't want it loose. That would be worse." The girl's hands trembled in her lap.

Inuyasha snorted, speaking for the first time. "Damn straight it would be worse. A sealed youkai, who can still do all that?" He stared at Michiko. "Maybe the seal's been weakened somehow." His eyes narrowed "So how did you end up possessed?"

The girl heaved a deep, shuddering breath. "I'm not sure. I don't remember. I think bit by bit it was trying to take me over—I started out being tired all the time, fighting it. I was so tired." Kitamura tightened his fingers on her shoulder, his face reflecting his distress, and she reached up to touch his hand. "Uncle was so worried, they all were, but I couldn't tell them. It just laughed at me. And then I couldn't hear anything at all but the voice."

Jii-chan, fingering his goatee, asked slowly, "Do you remember your actions at all times, or did you have blackouts? Times you don't remember?"

"I'm…I'm not sure." The girl looked at him uncertainly.

"Hmm. Usually cases of possession feature periods of time where the demon takes over the body without the owner's knowledge. Possession is normally not too dangerous, and be taken care of fairly easily by a competent priest. But this certainly sounds more serious."

_That's a definite understatement, Jii-chan,_ thought Kagome wryly. They all sat in silence for a moment, while she tried to gather her thoughts.

"Kagome's not going anywhere near that house." Inuyasha said, standing abruptly. "It's too dangerous." He crossed his arms and stared down at Kitamura.

"Eh?" Jii-chan peered at him, eyes narrowed.

"But we need her help!" Kitamura started, a bit desperately. "I'm sure she's the only one who can purify the evil in that house!"

"So? What about _leaving_ the damn house?" Inuyasha snorted. "Ain't nobody forcing any of you to live there."

"But—"

"You're wrong, Kitamura-san." Kagome stood up, and they all stared up at her. "I'm not the only one who can exorcise a house. In fact, I'm not sure I actually _can_. And I'm not going."


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: Inuyasha and associated characters are the property of Rumiko Takahashi.

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**Chapter 12**

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Caught off guard, Inuyasha stared at Kagome. _She's actually going to listen to me this time?_ She _sounded_ pretty firm just now when she'd told the Kitamura guy that she wasn't going traipsing off to his idiot sister's house, but he could tell from the expression on her face that she was wavering. He snapped his head around to Kitamura to give him a stern glare, just as the man opened his mouth to protest.

"But Higurashi-sama, you _must_ help us! You are the only one who can!" The man's haggard face was contorted with anxiety, and he half rose to face Kagome.

"The hell she is!" snapped Inuyasha. "There's got to be priests and monks all over that could handle that demon. It's sealed, ain't it? Slap more seals on and be done with it." He glowered down at the man. "She's not going."

"Kitamura-san," Kagome sighed, "I think you're making a mistake. When you first talked to me a few days ago about Michiko, I agreed to look at her even though I thought it wasn't likely she was possessed. I was wrong, and I was able to help her, but look at what happened!" Her brows were furrowed in distress. "The hospital was demolished. I had no idea what I was walking into, and I still don't know what I'm doing. What if more of the building was destroyed? What if people had gotten hurt?"

"But they didn't, Higurashi-sama!" Kitamura leaned forward earnestly. "You saved Michiko! I was right to ask you, and I'm right to think you can purify that cursed house and save my sister!"

"But I've never purified a _house_…what if I do something wrong?" Kagome began.

_Damn, it looks like she's gonna cave,_ Inuyasha thought, the uncertainty plain on her face. "Wait. Who says your sister needs saving?" he interjected.

"Eh?" Kitamura turned to him, confused. Jii-chan and Michiko, still sitting, followed the discussion like spectators at a tennis match; their heads swiveled to Inuyasha now.

"Look. All she has to do is leave, from the sound of it. Why the hell is she living in a cursed house, anyway? She leaves and doesn't go back, the demon's still sealed, end of story."

"She won't leave," Michiko piped up.

"Then she's stupid," the hanyou grumbled. Michiko flushed a bit.

"Maybe that's so. But she absolutely won't leave. She said she paid for the house and she's not going to let silly old stories scare her out."

"What does your father say?" Kagome asked gently, sitting back down and facing the younger girl. Inuyasha exhaled angrily and folded his arms, staring down at them.

Michiko looked down. "Pretty much what you're saying. That it's stupid to stay."

"So why is he still there?" Inuyasha growled.

"He's…he's not. He moved out. Requested a transfer to Osaka and left us," the girl admitted miserably.

Kagome winced. She took the girl's hand comfortingly, and said, "Michiko, maybe it's for the best. If you and your father have both left, surely your mother won't stay."

"You don't know her," Kitamura said gloomily. "She's very stubborn. She'll stay there just to spite her husband." He looked at Kagome beseechingly. "Please, Higurashi-sama. Won't you consider going to the house? Perhaps if _you_ tell her, or can show her the house is cursed, she'll leave."

"How about this." Jii-chan got up, and looked around at all of them. "I can recommend one or two priests who are experienced exorcists; you can hire one of them to take care of the demon problem."

"But Higurashi-sama—"

Jii-chan cut off Kitamura before he could begin his refrain. "Kagome is inexperienced and uncomfortable with taking the lead on this, as I see now. Perhaps," and he gave Kagome a look beneath bushy brows, "she can tag along with the older practitioner, observe, and serve as reinforcements. It should be instructive."

Inuyasha saw with dismay that Kagome was nodding her head. "Dammit, no! Kagome, it's too dangerous. You're not going."

"But they're asking for help, Inuyasha," she said seriously. "We should help people if we're able to. I'm just afraid that I'd screw it up, release the demon or something, if it was just the two of us. I feel much better about it if there's someone along who knows what he's doing."

"And how do you know this priest's not a fraud?" Inuyasha ground out. He saw his skepticism reflected in Kitamura's face, and so did the old man.

"One of the men I was thinking of is a good friend of mine, very experienced and wise," Jii-chan huffed. "You can check his credentials with the Shrine Association. And Kitamura-san, you can also call the temples and ask for an exorcist there." He sniffed dismissively.

Michiko had brightened, but Kitamura still looked dour. "I suppose if that is my only option, I will have to take it." He sighed. "Give me those names if you would, Guji-sama, and I will make arrangements." The man flicked an anxious glance at Kagome. "And Higurashi-sama will agree to go, if I do that?"

Kagome nodded, seriously. "Of course." She looked over to Inuyasha, and smiled brightly. "We both will, right?"

He rolled his eyes and sighed. How did they always get sucked into other people's business? "Keh."

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Kagome wandered back to the house once the visitors had left. She was relieved that she would _not_ be in charge of the whole exorcism thing; much better to leave it to a professional. Somebody trained… somebody who could have helped Michiko without trashing a hospital.

_If Miroku and Sango were here_…her throat tightened, and she swallowed, _it would be just another monster to tackle._ But they weren't here. Without Miroku's wisdom and spiritual power, Sango's knowledge and expertise…Inuyasha might be able to take out the demon by himself, but what if he couldn't? He'd already been hurt once. What use could _she_ possibly be in this situation? There were no shards to spot anymore; all she had were middling archery skills and some unreliable miko talents. She was no Kikyou, who would probably not have blinked at Kitamura's request, and easily blasted the demon to nothingness.

She kicked a pebble moodily and glanced around the courtyard. Inuyasha had stomped out of the shrine office right after she'd agreed. What was wrong with him, anyway? She focused, searching for his youki, and determined that he was probably back in the well house. She should get over there and take a look at what he found, after she changed out of her uniform.

The house was quiet as she stepped inside. Jii-chan was still back in the shrine office, but Souta was nowhere to be seen. Kagome found her mother in the kitchen, measuring rice into the rice cooker. She looked up at her daughter and smiled.

"Need any help, Mama?"

"Not at the moment, dear, thank you. How did your meeting go?"

"Um. They wanted me to go exorcise a house."

Mama gave her an inquiring look. "And?"

Kagome sat down at the table and studied her hands. "Well, I didn't want to do it—I don't think I'm exactly what Kitamura-san thinks I am. Jii-chan said he could refer them to a couple of priests he knows. Inuyasha and I are going to go along as backup to whoever he picks."

"Ah." Her mother turned back to her preparations.

Kagome examined her nails; they were really growing back nicely. They always got broken and torn in the feudal age. "Mama…is it terrible of me to not want to do something when someone asks me to?" _He said I was the only one who could help, but I have trouble believing that this time. There has to be someone better at this than me._

"Kagome." Mama came over and sat across from her, and took her hands, giving them a warm squeeze. "I trust you. I know you'll choose to do what's right. But you are the best judge of whether the task is too hard. I know you won't turn away lightly." She smiled. "Didn't you still agree to go?"

"Yes, but…I don't know what good I'll do. I feel like I'm misrepresenting myself. I'm not a big bad warrior-priestess—" she stopped before she blurted out _like Kikyou_. "It doesn't feel right that Jii-chan is charging him."

"Well, I wouldn't worry too much about that. Kitamura-san can dispute it if he doesn't feel that he got his money's worth." Mama patted her hands and got back up, heading towards the counter. "He was happy that you helped Michiko, wasn't he?"

Kagome picked at a hangnail. "Yeah, but he also has to pay for the damage at the hospital. Somehow I think it could have been handled better."

"You let Kitamura-san worry about that. That's _his _choice." Mama added water and set the timer on the cooker, then moved to the sink. "How are things at school?"

"Better. I just need time to study, but I think I won't have too much trouble with finals." She would have to study tonight, but she desperately wanted to see what was in that trunk Inuyasha mentioned. She frowned suddenly— what if he found bad news in it? Was he keeping it from her? "Did Inuyasha say anything about those papers he found?"

Mama glanced back at her. "No, just that he had found them. Why?"

Kagome shrugged and got up. "He's been acting weird."

Her mother turned back to the vegetables she was washing. "I wouldn't wonder. His whole life has changed. I'm sure it would rattle anyone." She looked over her shoulder at Kagome. "Have you two talked about anything?"

Kagome felt obscurely guilty— _she's right, I should have been paying more attention to him…_ "What do you mean?"

"Like what your plans are for the future." Mama gave her a measuring look, and returned to her task. "And how he fits into them."

She stared. "Mama, he isn't talking to me right now."

Mama smiled without turning around. "If you talk, he'll listen."

With a last glance at her mother, Kagome went upstairs to change, and headed to the well house, full of resolve.

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She found him hunched over one of the trunks, its contents spread over the tops of surrounding crates, and some in piles on the floor. As she came down the steps, she could see that he was carefully unrolling a scroll, one that looked much the worse for wear.

"Inuyasha?"

"What?" He sounded irritable, but that was nothing new.

"I came to see the papers you found. Did you find anything interesting? What's that one in your hand?" She came and settled on her knees on his right, very close, and peered over his arm. He gave her a narrow sideways glance.

"It's a letter." He snorted and began rolling it back up. "Another one." He added it to a small pile of scrolls on the top of the crate to his left. "None of them addressed to anybody I've heard of. I can't even tell what the dates are."

"What are those?" She leaned and pointed to a stack of square bundles of paper, on the floor slightly behind and on his other side.

"Hell if I know. Looks like shrine business." He reached into the trunk and pulled out another delicate and ragged scroll. "You gonna help or what? There are a lot of these things."

Wordlessly she leaned forward to look into the trunk. More of the square bundles to one side, and number of small scrolls loosely piled together. She picked one up, noting with distaste that it felt as grimy as it looked, and unrolled it enough to look at the date. "Meiwa 9…why is that year familiar?" She unrolled it further, hoping to see a familiar name, anything. She puzzled out some of the archaic script, past the salutation, to the subject. "Aha! Now I remember."

Inuyasha looked up instantly. "Why? What is it?"

"One of the three great Edo fires took place that year. I remember it from history class." She ignored his snort as he turned back to the letter he had in his hand. "Looks like the shrine was too far away from the city proper to be in danger of burning." She sighed, and rolled it back up and placed in on the trunk to her right. "It's from the 1700's. Much later than what we're looking for."

"Stop wasting time with the wrong dates, wench," the hanyou said testily. He twitched the scroll in his hand to his pile, and reached for another.

The well house was quiet but for the sound of rustling paper. They worked in silence for a while; Kagome found it soothing, just being with him. She knew she should take up her mother's advice at some point and talk to him, but right now she was engrossed in the search. Each scroll she put aside was another treasure to be investigated later, but right now, she eagerly hoped to find a letter or a document, anything, with the familiar and much-loved names.

Next to her, Inuyasha stiffened. She glanced over and saw him staring at the date marked at the edge of the partially unrolled letter he held. "What? What did you find?"

"Eiroku 3, fourth month." He turned to look at her, his pale eyes gleaming in the dim light. "That's not long after the well closed, right?"

Kagome gasped, "Unroll it! What does it say?" He straightened the scroll so that all of the script was visible; she strained to see, but beyond the date, she was having a problem interpreting the ancient writing. "Can you read it aloud, Inuyasha?"

He gave her an exasperated look, but turned back to the letter, cleared his throat, and began to read, stumbling only slightly over some of the turns of phrase.

"_Eiroku 3, fourth month, 28th day._

_ My dear Miroku,_

_Congratulations on many fronts, but especially on your marriage. I was very glad to read your news, though I wonder at the wisdom of marrying a woman so very skilled at fighting. Watch yourself, boy. I am sure you've learned caution in recent years, so I need not warn you that you will need much more discretion if you wish to continue your former habits. You no longer need an heir, so make sure you discard that excuse! _

_On a more sober note, I was sorry to hear that Kagome-sama and young Inuyasha seem to have departed permanently to her land. I was very interested to learn of the portal; unfortunately, I cannot give you any guidance on how it works, having less experience with such things than even you. I have not come across any mention of it in my studies. I hope that both of them, and especially the hanyou, find happiness where they are. _

_And to your other question, I have not seen or heard mention of your young kitsune friend, not that I necessarily would have from this far away. You say he vanished right about the time of your wedding? Unusual for such a social creature to miss an event like that. _

_At any rate, the little fellow may be perfectly fine. You know youkai, they take to roving about sometimes, and if I remember right, young Shippou is growing up. Perhaps he is enjoying some of the finer pleasures that you are well acquainted with, my boy. Wanderlust is a powerful force, the more so if something or someone is found while wandering. Still, it seems very strange for him to just disappear like that. I would have thought he'd tell you, or at least ask for advice, before he went chasing some tail. (Get it? Ha!) _

_Have you decided where to settle down yet? I would not wish to deprive your adopted village of your talents, if that is what you have chosen, but if for some reason the place doesn't suit you, I would be pleased if you and Sango-san chose to settle here. There is a good living to be made from the nearby village, and the temple is not much work to maintain, though of course it is a bit much for me at my advanced age. I could pass on at any time, you know. You might consider easing your foster-father's last years._

_I enjoyed hearing from you, boy. Don't be a stranger._

_Blessings of the Buddha upon you both,_

_Mushin"_

They were both silent for a long moment, staring at the letter. Kagome finally broke the silence, looking up at Inuyasha, who stared back at her.

"Inuyasha," she whispered, stricken, "what could have happened to Shippou?"

A/N:

_Guji:_ head priest of a shrine.


	13. Chapter 13

Disclaimer: Inuyasha and associated characters are the property of Rumiko Takahashi.

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**Chapter 13**

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_Interlude: Sengoku Jidai_

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Shippou paused, motionless, and listened. Nothing but the distant calls of birds came to his ears, and the rustling of wind through the treetops. He sniffed, but the only scents were those that should be there.

He relaxed minutely and breathed out a small sigh of satisfaction. He definitely hadn't been followed. He began moving again, noiselessly picking his way across the forest floor in a zigzag pattern, moving from cover to cover, just as Inuyasha had taught him. He scowled briefly at the thought of that flea-bitten jerk, but his more immediate concern was making sure that he wouldn't be tracked by Miroku or Sango. He peered over his shoulder to make sure he was leaving no tracks in the damp leaf mold carpeting the ground.

Bad enough that the nosy monk had regained so much mobility, and had taken to following him around, popping up when least expected, he thought sourly. If he managed to evade Miroku, the pervert would send Sango after him— Sango, the expert tracker. And while Miroku's pious lectures were bad, Sango's smothering solicitude was even worse. He grimaced. He couldn't stand to be around either one these days.

_Time to head for the trees. She can't track me up there._ Effortlessly he scaled the nearest tree trunk, headed for a handy horizontal branch, and began moving from tree to tree, as quickly and nimbly as a squirrel. Another lesson from dog-boy; he grudgingly admitted it was a valuable one. You could definitely see a lot more from the trees, and like he'd said, nobody ever thought to look up.

Traveling through the lower canopy of the vast forest, it took Shippou about an hour to reach his quarry. He kept a sharp eye on his surroundings, looking for any sign of intruders, but disappointingly, did not see anything amiss before he arrived at his destination.

_I guess it's just as well, _he thought, as he peered down at the jumble of huge rocks below him, and the well-disguised den entrance on one side of it. _I'm sure she'd be impressed, once she sees what a great fighter I am, but I can't be here all the time to protect her._ Abruptly he sat up straight. _Wait, why can't I? I could move out here! There won't be anything holding me back there soon, anyway— and that moron broke the well—_

"Shippou? Is that you?" A quiet voice came from below, but he didn't see her. The small clearing besides the nearest boulder was empty; the straggly bushes on the edge of it remained still and undisturbed.

"Yes, it's me," he called down. "I made sure I wasn't followed," he added, before she could ask. Digging his claws in as he went, he shimmied down the trunk, stepping off carefully when he reached the bottom, and looked around. "Soen?"

"Here." The taller girl appeared at his side, seemingly out of thin air, and he managed to suppress a start.

"How do you _do_ that," he said admiringly. She smiled faintly in answer, and moved toward the other side of the boulder, and the small clearing. Some flat-topped stones were arranged around the tiny, currently cold firepit there, and she took a seat on one. He followed, and flopped down on another. She regarded him without speaking, one feathery eyebrow slightly raised.

Suddenly self-conscious, Shippou looked down, and then remembered why he had come. "I brought you something," he said as he reached for the cloth slung around his neck. The bundle had bumped against his back the entire way; it had smelled so good, it had been a struggle to virtuously leave it untouched. He unrolled the cloth in his lap and produced a couple of smaller cloth-wrapped packages. He held one out to her.

"It's fried bean-curd. My friend was getting some ready for her wedding, and she made me a few pieces, early." Shippou felt a little guilty about wanting to get away from Sango when she'd been so nice, but she'd asked too many questions at the amount he'd wanted. He saw Soen's eyes darken with interest, and she sniffed. Hesitantly she reached for the package he was proffering.

"Tofu aburage. I haven't had that in…" She took it, and opened it slowly, almost ceremoniously. He had already torn his open, but hesitated to bite into one of the slightly greasy delicacies until she had. She raised it to her lips, closed her eyes, and took a dainty bite, obviously savoring the taste. Shippou took it as a signal to wolf his down.

He watched her surreptitiously as she ate. She was so pretty; he couldn't figure out how she managed to keep her hair and clothes in such perfect order while living in a dirt cave. Today she had on the light green kimono, patterned with darker green leaves, and her straight black hair was tied back from her face. Delicately she ate the tofu, and wiped her fingers carefully on the cloth before handing it back to him.

"Thank you, Shippou. It's difficult to get good food like that out here, as you can probably guess." She smiled at him, and he beamed.

Suddenly he thought of the other little gift he'd brought. "I've got something else good to eat. I've been saving it," he said. With only a little reluctance he reached inside his shirt to bring out the last of the chocolate he'd had from Kagome. He'd been hoarding it for weeks…but it was better to share than to keep it for himself, wasn't it? Besides, if Kagome _did_ come back, he'd be able to tell her he'd shared.

Soen watched quizzically as he unwrapped the bar, and divided the slightly melted candy into two equal parts. "What is that?"

"It's 'chocolate'," he answered, handing her one half of the bar. She took it gingerly and sniffed it, slightly suspicious. He took a big bite of his piece to show her it was safe. "It's sweet. My friend brought it from her land. I don't know when I'll be able to get any more," he said apologetically.

She nibbled it experimentally after she'd seen him bite into his. "This is…interesting," she allowed, and took a bigger, but neat, bite. Very soon, the chocolate was gone, and she frowned at the melted, gooey mess on her fingertips, shooting a glance at Shippou when he began licking his. Flushing at the implied rebuke, he brought out the cloths that the tofu had been wrapped in and wiped the rest from his hands, silently mourning the loss of the last bit of the candy. She finished wiping her fingers for the second time, and handing the cloth back to him, sat back with a sigh and murmured thanks.

"I suppose it must be handy, having all these humans around that are willing to give you things." Shippou was piqued by the slight sneer in her voice.

"Well, they're my friends, and they're good friends to have. We've been together for years." He gave her a sideways look. "We took down Naraku, you know." Unconsciously he puffed himself up a bit, waiting for her reaction.

"Yes, so you've said," she drawled, looking away as if bored. "He was nothing but a hanyou, when all's said and done. How hard could it have been?"

"Inuyasha's a hanyou too, but there's nothing ordinary about _him._" Shippou wondered why he was sticking up for that lousy bastard, but the words shot out of his mouth seemingly of their own volition. "He's the strongest hanyou in probably all of Japan— he killed Ryuukotsusei by himself. You've heard of _him,_ right? And Naraku was really strong, and tricky. He had the whole Shikon Jewel, at the end, and we were still able to take him out." _With some help,_ he admitted silently.

Soen glanced back at him, eyes narrowed, and didn't conceal her contempt this time. "_Friends_ with a hanyou, a _dog_ at that. Really, Shippou, for a kitsune you keep very _odd_ company. How did you stand the smell? And how could you allow that miko to destroy the Shikon no Tama?" She sniffed, and looked away. "I assure you, if I had a chance at it I could have put the Jewel to much better use."

He got to his feet angrily. "Soen, nothing good could ever come from use of the Shikon! My father _died_ because of it!" He crossed his arms, staring at her with some disdain. She couldn't be blamed for her ignorance of the danger the Jewel posed, he reminded himself; she hadn't his experience. "And you may be older than me, but that doesn't give you the right to tell me who I should and shouldn't be friends with," he added indignantly. "I'm just as much a kitsune as you. It doesn't make me less of one because I'm friends with a monk and a hanyou."

"And miko and demon exterminators," she added, waspishly. "I think it's more than odd. But that's your business. It has nothing to do with me." She got up and stalked over to the edge of the clearing, and stood there, arms crossed, her back to him. "I have my own revenge to think about." She looked at him over her shoulder. "Have you thought about what I asked?"

He slowly sat back down. "I don't know, Soen. This doesn't seem right…" She glared at him suspiciously, and he hastened to add, "Are you sure those are the right people? They can't _all_ have been a part of it."

"As far as I'm concerned, every one of them should pay for the crime to my family," she snapped. There was a hard gleam in her eyes, one Shippou didn't like at all. "If you don't want to go, it's fine. I can do it myself."

_That'll make a bad plan even worse. At least if I'm there I might be able to save you from the outcome._ He decided to try a different tack. "There's a lot of armsmen," he pointed out. "It's a tall order to get past them to the lord, even with my help."

She smirked a bit, and turned to face him. "We won't have any trouble. We're _kitsune, _Shippou We can look like anyone we please, get in, get out. Easy."

"Well…" He hated to admit it, but… "I'm not that good yet. I don't know how long I'd be able to hold an illusion." He flipped his tail for emphasis, noting that other than her pointed ears, she looked completely human. No tail was evident.

"Oh, that. You just haven't had anyone to teach you. I can show you how to look like anything, and do a lot more besides." She gazed at him, levelly. "How about it, Shippou. You help me, I'll help you. It's been nice having a friend to talk to." She looked away, a little abstracted, perhaps even a little embarrassed. "I've been alone for so long…I'd really like for you to come with me, after we're done here."

Suddenly feeling hot, Shippou carefully did not meet her eyes. "I'd…I'd like that, Soen." _I'd really like that. And maybe I can talk her out of this crazy plan of hers. She'll be killed, and so will I if I don't keep my head on straight._

She smiled then, and looked back at him. "How about a lesson, and then we can go test the disguise by a little scouting?"

"Scouting?" That sounded harmless…and the wedding wasn't until tomorrow night. He should be able to humor Soen, and be back in plenty of time. He shrugged and nodded.

"Watch me." Her form blurred, and suddenly there was a black fox sitting at his feet, lolling her tongue in a vulpine grin as she looked up at him. "No guard would look twice at a fox, right?" It was strange, seeing the words come out of that fanged mouth. He gaped. Another blur, and then she was standing in front of him, a mocking smile on her perfect red lips. "Now you."

"Uh…" With a pop, he did his best to assume fox shape, but he could tell from her slightly furrowed brow that there was something not quite right about it. At least his feet and tail looked fine.

"Shippou, you've got to _picture_ what you want to look like, in your head. And this should be the easiest form to take. Watch again, and then try…"

A half hour later, he had attained a realistic enough fox shape that she pronounced herself satisfied. Now that she had explained the trick, it seemed easy; the fox form wasn't a strain at all. Even speaking with the fox mouth seemed natural.

"How do you know all this?" he asked curiously. "You're not that much older than me. My dad told me that kitsune don't get really good at illusions until they're at least a hundred. I've never seen you lose the shape you were holding, down to the tail."

She looked away. "I had to learn fast," she said shortly. "Look, it's nearly dark. Shall we go?"

"We're just scouting today, right?"

"Right." She turned and began threading her way through the bushes. Hoping he'd be able to keep her out of trouble, he followed, as silent as she.

TBC


	14. Chapter 14

Disclaimer: Inuyasha and associated characters are the property of Rumiko Takahashi.

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**Chapter 14**

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With a growl of frustration Inuyasha dropped the lid of the last chest; it thunked shut, the sound magnified by the silence of the well house. _Just more crap._ Dust hung in the air, making his nose itch, and now he had stirred up more of it by slamming the lid. He turned to Kagome to see if she'd had better luck with that last crate, and found her sitting on the bottom step leading down to the dirt floor of the well house, her head in her hands.

"Kagome?" The irritation gave way to concern for her.

"It's all right." Her voice was muffled. "I just hoped…I can't believe we've gone through all of this stuff, and for nothing." She laughed, a short and bitter sound, and looked up. "Well, not for nothing. Jii-chan could open a museum if he wants."

Inuyasha walked over and sat down on the nearby crate with a sigh. "So we didn't find anything else. Maybe there ain't anything to find."

"So you're saying we should give up?"

"Fuck no." He shot her a glare, but she looked defiant, not resigned. "We can still look for the runt, it'll just be harder with a cold trail and no tracks to follow."

"Yeah." Her intransigence subsided into a sort of weary despondency, and she fell silent. His attention wandered to the piles of various materials now scattered over the crates and floor around the old well.

He had an idea of what a museum was—some place to keep high-end junk, is what it sounded like—and if so there really was some museum-grade stuff here. Paintings, screens, trinkets, delicate ceramics and other breakables…he had no use for those kind of things. They had found some other items that _he_ certainly thought were worthwhile…

"There's still some good shit here, Kagome," he said encouragingly. "Those swords," and he nodded at a couple of beautifully made, high-quality blades, laid out with care on top of a crate, "and the yanone. You could use those." The steel arrowheads lay in a pile near the swords. He hadn't cared to touch some of them, and had let Kagome handle them instead; they had radiated spiritual power. His gaze slid over to the rifle that they had found in the doorway of the hidden storage room. Kagome's grandfather had brought it back here after making a huge fuss over the thing. Now, cleaned and oiled, the gun gleamed dully and all the metal parts moved smoothly. Kagome had even found a tightly sealed box of 'bullets' for it, though Jijii seemed to think they were too old to be trustworthy.

"Hm." Kagome propped her chin on her hand, and looked over at the arrowheads. "They _are_ really nice. Maybe I should make some arrows…I'm glad Kaede-baachan taught me how." Heaving a deep breath, she rose to her feet. "I have to start thinking of worst-case scenarios for our little field trip to Michiko's house anyway." She wandered over to the open trunk containing the letters and shrine records, and flipped through some of the documents idly.

_She needs a better bow,_ he thought. Since she insisted on going on this stupid mission, he'd be damned if she went less than totally prepared for trouble. She had a short bow, adequate, but not really good. Too bad she had left a better one back on the other side of the well. He had found a couple of bows among the things in here, but they hadn't stored well—the wood was too dry and cracked for her to depend on.

He looked at the yanone again. They might give her an edge—if she would only use them. "That old hag taught you how to make bows too, didn't she?"

There was no response, and he turned to see her reading over Mushin's letter again, probably the tenth time she'd done so. "Kagome?"

"Damn it." Dispiritedly, she let the letter drop into the trunk with the others. "I can't believe this is all there was."

He frowned. "It ain't that surprising. How many times you think the shrine has burned between then and now? You're lucky there is this much stuff. And there's still the pile of shrine records—you barely touched those."

She eyed the packages of tiny, crabbed writing, mildewed and grimy, with disfavor. "I know, but…those are going to be hard to go through…and it seems to be mostly lists of births and marriages. Not like a letter. Plus they're gross." She moved back to the steps and sat down heavily. "Maybe that's hoping for too much, but I keep thinking...why couldn't there be a least one more thing that they touched? Anything."

Inuyasha recalled the roll of paper he had found earlier, Shippou's drawings; he had put it behind one of the crates. Useless, but… He retrieved it now, and held it out to her wordlessly. She looked up questioningly at his face as she took it, and unrolled it over her lap. She gasped when she saw what they were; he sat down carefully beside her and put an arm around her as she held one hand to her mouth, her eyes shining with tears. With his other hand he held one edge of the sheaf to keep it from rolling back up.

"When did you find this?" she asked, tracing the name _Shippou_ on the edge of the outermost sheet with trembling fingers.

"Earlier," he mumbled.

She gave a little hiccupping laugh. "Well, I'm glad you found it, but I wish you had showed me, _earlier._" She paged slowly through the roll, stopping at pictures of Miroku and Sango, continuing through the rest. She looked up at him, her wet eyes shining in the dim light. "I'm so happy you found these, Inuyasha. These are worth the effort."

"I guess," he said dubiously. _But if it makes her happy…_ "It's good that they're still here." He stroked her hair soothingly. "They don't lead us anywhere, though."

"I guess not." She flipped through them again, carefully this time. "I remember Shippou showing me some of these. The rest…they look like they could have been done around the time we were there—before the well closed. Or at least everybody looks the same. And actually, going by appearances, none of them look like they were done much later. There's no way to tell with the landscapes, though, and I don't know who this is." She pointed at the drawing of the unknown girl. "Do you?"

"Nope," he said, shrugging. "Some local kid?"

She frowned down at it. "I don't think so, but then I didn't know every person in the village. I wish I had." Her lips compressed, and felt her shoulders tremble in silent grief.

"Kagome, come on." Inuyasha hugged her closer to his side. "You can't live in the past. At least not anymore," and he saw her smile despite herself. "You'll drive yourself crazy, wishing you had done things differently, when you can't change a thing," he murmured. "You know that as well as I do."

She nodded. "I know. That doesn't stop me from wishing." She leaned into him, one hand reaching up to wipe her eyes; she let the papers curl back into a roll. He took the roll and with his free arm set it down on top of the nearest crate.

He had a sudden desire to get out of this dismal little building, now permeated with the stink of failure, and get a breath of air. They'd been in here for hours, and it was dark outside. Kagome had brusquely refused when her mother had called in that dinner was ready, too intent on searching the cache. Abruptly he scooped her up in his arms and, ignoring her patient query about where they were going, went up the steps to the doorway, where he paused.

The earlier rain seemed to have washed the skies, and it was crystal-clear and cold. The stars blazed with unusual brilliance in the metropolitan sky, and the icy, waning moon hovered distantly on the horizon. It was a beautiful night to be outside.

He glanced down at the girl in his arms; she looked back up at him, eyebrows raised questioningly.

"Want to go sit for a while, Kagome?"

She frowned. "I've got to study--"

"Come on. You've _been_ studying. Take a break, why don't you." He added cajolingly, "I know a nice spot, you'll like it."

She smiled. "Okay. But just for a little while."

Inuyasha leapt to the roof of the well house and from there jumped to the trees behind it, his grip on Kagome secure. He had thoroughly explored this small grove, and quickly made his way through it to the other side of the hill, facing northwest, away from the shrine and the brightly lit city to the southeast.

On this side the pines had given way to fragrant cedars, growing densely together until they ended abruptly at a short bluff. Directly below was someone's forgotten garden, overrun with leggy camellia bushes still covered in late blooms, silvered by the dim light of the stars. He found his perch, a sturdy horizontal branch extending from the trunk of a large tree over the dropoff. It had an unobstructed view of the landscape sweeping down the hillside into the plain, and away to the far-off mountains. There were no tall buildings nearby to block the view, only low houses; from here the patterns of the stars above could be discerned with slightly less interference from the glaring lights of Tokyo.

"Wow," Kagome whispered, her eyes gleaming as she took in the vista before her. "How come I never found this place?"

"Knew you'd like it," he said, pleased by her reaction. He set her down carefully, making sure she had her footing on the bark of the wide limb, then pulled off his haori and wrapped it around her snugly. He sat down against the trunk of the tree and, looking up at her, extended an arm out in invitation. There was just enough room for them to sit together here at the widest part of the branch, if she didn't mind squeezing in…

With a small, reflective smile, she seated herself next to him. He put his arm around her securely, and she snuggled into his side with only a quick look over the edge to the ground below. Once she was settled, he tilted his head back to view the panorama above them. With a soft exhalation she laid her head on his shoulder, following his gaze to the heavens.

"If there were more stars, I could almost believe we were back in the Sengoku Jidai," she whispered. "Things were so much less complicated there."

He acknowledged her with a grunt. They lay together quietly for some time, looking up at the stars wheeling above them. Laying here, her softness of her body pressed closely against his, the warm scent of her hair in every breath, he felt awash in contentment. He could even say he was…happy. The world narrowed to this point in time, this small space, this woman, here with _him_. Nothing else mattered.

She was silent for so long, that he thought she might have been falling asleep; he was surprised when she spoke.

"I'm sorry I haven't spent a lot of time with you lately," she murmured.

"Hmph. You ought to be," he replied reflexively.

Her expression was contrite as she turned her head to look at him. "It's all the work for school. You'll see, it'll be nice once I finish high school and start college, then I'll have more time to spend with you."

If anything, his contentment grew at her words. "I suppose I can forgive you then," he said, and caught her smile. "Though I thought college was more school," he added lazily.

"It is, sort of. It's more in depth schooling, but you get to pick what you want to learn about. It's also supposed to be a lot easier than high school, once you get in. Less pressure." She snuggled even closer to him and turned her head to lay her cheek on his shoulder, her eyes half-lidded; she sounded sleepy. Maybe he should take her back. He was loath to end this moment, though; he held her tighter, nuzzling her hair. "It's supposed to help you find a job afterward," she continued. "I'm still trying to decide what I want to do."

"Why do you have to do anything?" Only half-interested in the conversation, he kissed her forehead, her bangs tickling his nose. "You could just live here." _And be with me._

She chuckled. "I guess I could, but it would sure be a waste of all my work in school." Her fingers ran idly along the edge of his shirt, up to his neck, and brushed lightly against his cheek. His heart beat faster.

"Told you it was a waste of time," he said distractedly. He let his hand stroke up her arm towards her shoulder, feeling the warmth of her skin under the fabric. Her fingers were in his hair, now, combing through the strands that hung over his shoulder onto his chest.

"Inuyasha!" she laughed. "No, really. I want to do something important with my life."

He snorted softly, despite his preoccupation with her hands, her touch. "You think you haven't done anything important? What about the last few years? Naraku? The Shikon?" His fingers wandered up past her shoulder towards her back, rubbing in gentle circles, gradually pulling her towards him.

She made an impatient noise. "Yes, that was definitely important. But I was talking about my life here." Suddenly, she looked a little lost, and her eyes wandered from the sky down to the horizon, as though the weight of this world was pressing down on her. "I want it to, you know, have meaning," she murmured. Her hands stilled.

_Don't stop… _He swallowed. "You mean more than anything to _me_, Kagome." He raised his hand to softly trace the curve of her cheek, drawing her face up toward him. He wanted to kiss those soft lips, just inches away. He wanted to drive that haunted look from her features; he would do anything, _anything_, to make her happy.

She stared up at him, eyes huge and dark; they slowly closed as she reached up to him. "Inuyasha," she sighed, and her lips met his. The world narrowed even further, to just Kagome and himself.

Feeling this closeness to her again…this was what he'd waited for and wanted for so long. He loved her so much, and to feel her love, demonstrated in the simple gesture of letting him touch and hold her, feeling his emotion returned…This was the home his heart ached for. He buried himself in his senses, venturing with lips and hands; slowly at first, shyly exploring heretofore unknown territory, and aware of her, at first hesitantly, and then more confidently, responding in kind. They paused from time to time, in discovery and murmured delight.

The moon had set and the world was dark and still when finally, by unspoken, mutual assent, they broke off and pulled apart slightly. Kagome rested her forehead against his, her eyes closed, stroking his hair and face with gentle hands. "You mean everything to me, too, Inuyasha," she whispered. "I'm not ever letting you go. Whatever happens, I'll be with you."

He tightened his grip on her fiercely. "You'd better be," he growled, and kissed her again. He relaxed his hold slightly but kept her securely in his arms, nuzzling her face and neck, and felt her lips, curved in a smile. They lay together quietly for some time, and he reveled in their closeness.

"Are you comfortable? Warm?" he murmured, feeling her shift slightly. The temperature seemed to be dropping, not that it was cold enough to bother him.

"Very. Well, mostly comfortable. I keep feeling like I'm going to slide off the edge here."

"I wouldn't let that happen, dummy."

She shrugged, a little grin quirking her lips. "I know."

"Well, how about this, then…" He lifted her so that now she was between his legs, leaning against his body, with both of his arms wrapped around her. Looking over her shoulder, she gave him a knowing smile, and he blushed. "Well, you definitely won't fall off this way," he said defensively.

"Definitely not," she agreed. "Are _you_ warm and comfy?"

"Very," he breathed, as she settled against him. Together they watched the constellations march across the sky; after a while her breathing slowed, and he felt her relax into sleep.

_I'll never be cold as long as you're with me, Kagome._ Warmed by his contentment, he watched the brilliant stars for the rest of the night, holding her close to his heart.

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In the growing light of chilly pre-dawn, birds were just beginning to rouse and twitter in the woods behind them, and Inuyasha was enjoying a light semi-doze when he was abruptly awakened. Kagome suddenly sat up, shaking her head slightly in confusion, but then looked back at him and smiled.

"Good morning." She leaned back to kiss him. For a long moment he forgot to breathe. Then she pulled back, smiling again softly, and he inhaled.

"Guess it is a good morning at that," he said. Her hair was mussed, her eyes puffy, but she had never looked more beautiful to him. He could have sat there for a while just staring at her, but she looked over to the sight of the sun just now peeking over the horizon, and a look of alarm crossed her face.

"Oh no. I hope it's not as late as I think it is."

"Eh? What's the matter?"

"_School_, Inuyasha. I'm going to be late, and I didn't even study _at all_ yesterday!" She began struggling to her feet.

"Keh." Trying to conceal his disappointment, he got up and turned away, presenting her with his back. "Stop your crying, you'll get there on time. Just get on."

"Inuyasha?" She wasn't getting on, and he turned to face her with some puzzlement mixed with irritation. He was surprised and delighted when she seized him in a tight hug. "I don't really want to go," she mumbled into his hair, and then pulled back, "but I kind of have to." She looked apologetic. His expression softened.

"Then quit wasting, time, wench." He scooped her up and jumped off the branch, feeling her arms wind around his neck, and headed off. He whisked through the dew-covered woods, through the shrine precincts, to her house. He was setting her down at her open window when she gasped softly.

"What now?"

"I hope Mama or Souta didn't notice that I wasn't in my room last night. It's not like I'm able to go through the well any more." He peered through the window, brows lowered, as she climbed in; it looked undisturbed and the door was closed. He sniffed, but there was no indication that anyone had been in here lately but Kagome herself.

"Don't worry about it, Kagome," he said. She flicked him a glance before she dug in her closet for a clean uniform.

"Easy for you to say. Mama wouldn't yell at _you_," she said with a wry grin. She came back to the window, leaning up to kiss him lingeringly. "I had a wonderful time last night."

"Me too." He would have liked to extend the kiss a little longer, but she broke off regretfully.

"It's not as late as I thought, but I still have to fly to get ready. See you later?"

"Damn straight," he grinned, and dropped down off the window ledge to the ground. He could smell breakfast already.

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Inuyasha was lolling indolently in one of the pine trees that afternoon, waiting for Kagome to get home. Some of the bare trees around the shrine complex were starting to show the bright green of spring growth, but for the time being the pines afforded the best concealment.

Bored, he was passing the time observing the people coming and going, when a pair advancing up the steps caught his eye; seconds later the wind shifted, bringing him the scent of them both. One of them caused him to bolt upright. That fucking kitsune brat Yasei was down there, in human form. He was escorting an old man; the man had a walking stick in one hand and was holding on to Yasei's arm with the other as they slowly reached the top of the stairs.

_The nerve of that little fucker, coming here._ Inuyasha frowned down at them, then slowly his lips stretched in a smirk. He cracked his knuckles. _Maybe this afternoon won't be a total loss._

He nearly launched himself off the tree towards them before remembering that he wasn't wearing anything to conceal his ears. He glanced at the pair again, and gauged their slow progress; he had time. He dropped straight down, landing almost noiselessly on the muffling carpet of pine needles underneath, and darted through the concealing brush towards the house.

It only took a couple of minutes for him to emerge, baseball cap pressing his ears down, but he saw that Jijii had beaten him to the pair. He was having a hearty laugh with the other old man, while Yasei stood aside with a bored look on his face. Jijii must have been expecting them, to have got out here so fast. Inuyasha sauntered over towards them and three sets of eyes flicked to him with varying degrees of surprise.

"Ah, Inbe, this is that friend of Kagome's I was telling you about. Inuyasha, this is my friend Inbe Gosei, the head priest at the Tokozawa Inari shrine."

"Hey." Inuyasha nodded at the priest, who nodded back, his regard intent, almost assessing. Inuyasha was wary of the unusual attention, but he was currently more interested in the youkai at the old man's side. Yasei was coolly and rather insolently appraising the hanyou right back.

Jijii harrumphed, scowling at Inuyasha, and continued, "And this is a young man serving at the shrine---"

"We've met," Inuyasha said, baring his teeth at the snotty punk in an edged grin.

"Yes," the kitsune agreed, standing slightly beyond arm's length. "Nice outfit," he sneered, glancing at the decidedly non-modern fire-rat haori and hakama. "Going to a festival?"

"Yeah, the festival of kicking kitsune ass. What's your excuse?" Inuyasha returned, with a pointed stare at the purple coveralls the kid was wearing. Evidently it was his favorite color.

Yasei's face darkened, but Inbe quickly cleared his throat, giving the boy a warning look and a flick of his eyes toward Jijii, who was frowning bemusedly.

"And here I thought I knew every matsuri celebrated in the entire Tokyo prefecture. Had you heard of that one, Inbe?" He looked like he might pursue the topic of the unknown kitsune/donkey festival, but Inbe seemed to be well acquainted with Jijii's mannerisms and quickly changed the subject.

"Er, no, Higurashi. Say, weren't you going to show us those shrine treasures that young Kagome and Inuyasha here discovered? You were just telling us they'd been moved."

Jijii's face cleared, and he smiled broadly. "Oh, yes. Come along and I'll show you. Inuyasha has moved it all to the old well house." He started off and the rest of them followed perforce. Inuyasha walked directly behind Yasei, who was escorting Inbe; the kitsune flung a suspicious look over his shoulder at the hanyou, but Inuyasha walked decorously, his hands hidden in his sleeves and an innocent expression on his face.

"By the way, where is Kagome?" Inbe remarked. "She visited the shrine not too long ago, and I missed her. We need to speak anyway."

"She ain't here." Inuyasha turned his gaze to the priest with a hint of suspicion. "What do you want to talk to her for?"

Jijii said, without turning around, "She should be home soon from school, Inbe. And Inuyasha, of course he needs to speak with her. Kitamura-san has asked him to investigate the house that is claimed to be cursed; Kagome will be accompanying him."

"Eh?" _Him? That feeble old man? _Ridiculous. Inuyasha regarded him critically; the old guy could barely walk without the assistance of a stick and a kitsune to prop him up. _Inbe_ was supposed to be the hotshot exorcist that Kagome was supposed to be learning from?

Perhaps feeling the stare, Inbe turned his head to look back at Inuyasha, a slight smile on his lips. "You may wish to wait before passing judgment, Inuyasha-san," he murmured.

"I know an old fart when I see one," he grumbled to himself. Yasei's back stiffened indignantly, and a slight grin turned up one corner of Inuyasha's mouth

They reached the well house, and quite a production was made of getting the two creaky old men down the stairs. Both Inbe and Yasei seemed awed by the mounds of junk strewn around that Jijii was smugly showing off.

Inuyasha watched them from a crouch at the top of the steps as they wandered around. He had tuned out Jijii's droning on about the historical significance of this and that and was actually paying more attention to scents and sounds coming in from the courtyard outside, in hope of a prompt appearance from Kagome. His attention jerked back down when he saw they were looking at the weapons. Inbe picked up one of the arrowheads and examined it admiringly.

"Higurashi, what a find you have here." He gestured at the room. "All of it. Your father was very wise to hide all this when he did." He put down the yanone and picked up the rifle reverently.

"An Arisaka rifle. I haven't seen one of these since the war."

"My father's," Jijii said proudly.

"Does it work?" Inbe sighted down the bore of the rifle with every sign of expertise.

Jijii sighed. "I'm not sure. I've cleaned it up, but not had a chance to test it."

"Well, I have a membership down at a shooting range. Let me know when you want to try it out. It looks like there's a box of bullets over here…"

Inuyasha's attention drifted again when his nose picked up Kagome's scent—she wasn't far off. Deciding that they'd be occupied in here for a while, he went off to find her.

She was on the street, just approaching the steps to the shrine when he bounced down to meet her. She greeted him with a grin.

"Knew it was you." She took his hand and they began climbing the steps together. "How was your day?"

"Boring. Well, wait." Briefly he outlined the visitors' arrival to the shrine.

Unaccountably Kagome brightened. "Oh, you mean Inbe-ojiisan is here?"

He stared. "You know that old geezer?" At her nod, he said, "Then you know how fucking decrepit he is. Get this, the old guy is the one you're supposed to help with exorcising that fucking house." He glowered. "I don't like it. How much help is he supposed to be?"

They reached the top of the steps and headed towards the house. "Maybe he could help a lot, Inuyasha," Kagome said thoughtfully. "He's pretty well known for resolving possessions. That might not be the same as a possessed _house_…that's what I was hoping to learn." Entering the kitchen, Kagome greeted her mother, who was sitting at the table with a newspaper, drinking a cup of tea.

"Inuyasha says Inbe-ojiisan is here, Mama," Kagome said, dropping her schoolbag on a chair.

"Really? I'd better make some more tea, then." Mama folded the newspaper and got up. "Why don't you bring him here when they're ready, Kagome." She gave Inuyasha a smile and headed for the stove.

Inuyasha followed Kagome back out and walked with her towards the well house; he could see the small group just stepping off the porch of the building and heading in their direction. Kagome greeted Inbe warmly, and Yasei with some surprise.

"Kagome! How nice to see you," Inbe said heartily. "I heard you came by the shrine to visit, and you didn't stop in to see me?"

Kagome blushed, embarrassed. "I'm sorry, Inbe-ojiisan. We got distracted."

He smiled. "So I heard. We need to have a long talk, don't we?"

Kagome looked startled, and darted a glance to Yasei, who rolled his eyes. "Oh. I guess we do." She gestured. "Please, have some tea with us, Mama will be happy to see you. And we have to talk about Kitamura-san's, um, problem. Right?"

They were nearing the house when Inuyasha's head swiveled to the steps, catching yet another scent. _Why the hell do they all have to come here **today**? _he thought grumpily. A man's voice called from across the courtyard, **"_Higurashi-sama!"_**

Startled, both Kagome and Jijii turned around, to see Kitamura just coming over the top of the steps. They all stopped and waited as the man approached at an awkward run, sweating and gasping. He looked…desperate, thought Inuyasha. Had something happened? Next to him, Kagome clutched his sleeve apprehensively as they watched him draw near.

He reached them and couldn't speak for a moment, drawing huge breaths, bent over with his hands on his thighs. Finally he straightened, looking imploringly at Kagome and Inbe. "Please," he gasped, "I need your help right away. Right away!"

Inbe stepped forward, a concerned expression furrowing his brow. "Why, Kitamura-san. What brings you here in such a hurry? I thought that little Michiko was safe?"

"That's it," he blurted. His face was twisted in distress. "She called me a few hours ago at work, hysterical. Said she couldn't get through to her mother out in Saitama since yesterday—she'd been trying all day, she was afraid something was wrong. I told her to calm down, it might be nothing, problems with the phone line. I called back later, and she wasn't answering. I tried my sister's line next, and got nothing—it wasn't going through, just as she said." They were guiding him over to a bench at this point; he lowered himself down tensely.

"So then I got worried. Went home early to check on Michiko, and found a note—she said she was headed out there to see if her mother was alright!"

"Damn!" Inbe appeared to be thinking hard. Kitamura looked up at him, frantic, and jumped to his feet.

"It would take at least a couple of hours to get there by train—she might be there by now! Please, Inbe-sama, Higurashi-sama—please, we have to hurry!"

Kagome was clearly anxious for the man; his face was white and sweaty, and she urged him to sit back down on the bench. "Please, Kitamura-san. Calm down. Of course we'll go." She bit her lip, exchanging a glance with Inbe, who nodded to her.

_Damn that silly little bitch Michiko, _Inuyasha fumed, grinding his teeth when he saw Kagome's distress. _Why the fuck didn't she stay in one place? I didn't think she'd be dumb enough to go back there._

"Now, just slow down, Kitamura-san." Inbe put a reassuring hand on the man's shoulder, and regarded him seriously. "This might mean nothing. She could be perfectly fine. Why don't we wait, and call your sister again in a while? Surely if there's a problem with the phone line it won't take too long to resolve."

"Let me try again." Kitamura got out a cell phone and punched in a number, waiting tensely. His face showed surprise and relief. "It's ringing! Just as you said!" Then he brightened. "Hello? Kyoko, are you there? Michiko? Hello?"

Waiting for a response, the relief slowly drained from his face, leaving disappointment in its wake. "Maybe it's not fixed. It sounds like someone picked it up, but I don't hear anything."

Focused on the phone, neither Kitamura nor Inbe noticed the alarm registering on the faces of the hanyou and the kitsune. They stared at each other as they, and apparently only they, heard the eerie, breathy voice that emerged from Kitamura's phone.

"_When I'm done here, I'll come for **you**, worthless mongrels and traitors. And after that, they will** all** get what they deserve."_ There was an abrupt click, and then silence. Kitamura tapped a couple of buttons and shook the device.

"Huh. Now the phone's dead," he said, frowning.

TBC

* * *

Glossary:

_Yanone –_ Japanese arrowheads, sometimes made of folded steel and tempered like swords. The more ornate varieties were often given as presentation pieces.

_Matsuri – _A festival, usually sponsored by a local shrine or temple.


	15. Chapter 15

Disclaimer: Inuyasha and associated characters are the property of Rumiko Takahashi.

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**Chapter 15**

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Kagome was concerned as she watched Kitamura tap the number into his cell phone; his face was ashen and sweaty, and he still hadn't recovered his breath. She wondered if he needed a doctor. The strain of all this might be too much for him. Maybe she could get him to sit down in the shrine office, and they could call from there…but no, his phone was connecting after all—

Abruptly she felt the atmosphere change, like the gust of wind preceding a storm, and she froze, everything else fading into the background. It felt as if…something, a hostile, malicious presence, was slowly sweeping by, only the barest edge touching, lazily circling. And while it only brushed by her now, the next time she would feel the sudden bite of fangs, tearing her flesh, killing her... She shuddered as a chill raised the hairs on the back of her neck. In the wake of that frisson was a torrent of fear, not her own—and the crawling certainty that there was something very, very wrong with Michiko.

She came back to herself, shook her head to clear it, but the sense of urgency and desperation remained. Kitamura was staring at his phone, puzzled. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Inuyasha and Yasei, both looking tense. _Did they feel it too?_ Inbe was watching Kitamura curiously. "Inbe-ojiisan." She edged closer to him, speaking softly. "There's something wrong with Michiko. We have to go. Now."

"Eh?" He glanced at her, eyebrows raised, and she noticed that Yasei had moved toward him on the other side. The young kitsune hissed in his ear urgently, and the priest's expression changed, from mild surprise to shock and dismay. What had Yasei seen or sensed? Or Inuyasha? She looked over at him; he was staring at her now. Their eyes met, and he nodded. _It definitely wasn't just me…_

In the background she could hear Jii-chan trying to help Kitamura with his uncooperative phone. "I have some tools in the shed, Kitamura-san…a couple of whacks with a hammer might get it going…"

Inbe straightened, his face grim, as Yasei finished his whispered conference, the kitsune bouncing with nervous energy and obvious anxiety. "Well, that does it. We'll go as soon as you're ready, Kagome. Kitamura-san, some directions, please?"

"You're going now?" Forgetting his phone, Kitamura jumped to his feet, inexpressible relief on his face. "The place is in the mountains near Ome, in Saitama. The closest village is Kiwazasu…" He drew out some papers, one of which turned out to be a highway map, and a pencil. "It will take some time to get there…"

Kagome didn't stay to listen further. She was sprinting for the well-house, and her bow. As she ran she tried not to feel discouraged, but she knew that Ome was quite far away indeed. She despaired of getting there in time. She still felt that current of fear, and somehow knew it to be Michiko's; it tapped against the edge of her mind like the fluttering of a moth against a windowpane, desperately trying to escape…

"You heard it too?"

Inuyasha was pacing her easily; she darted a puzzled glance at him as they reached the well house. "Heard what?"

"That youkai bitch from the hospital…the voice came out of the phone thing."

"What?" Kagome skidded to a stop and stared at him. "You mean, just now? I didn't hear anything!"

He stared back at her. "Then what the hell lit the fire under your ass?"

"A—a feeling." She shuddered again in memory. "Something dangerous, coming close. That Michiko's in trouble and there's no time to lose."

He snorted. "Dammit, then what the hell are you standing here for? Get your damn arrows and let's go. You're not going without them." He glowered at her.

She grinned, and turned to hurry down the steps of the well house. She grabbed up her bow and quiver, checking the number of arrows and hoping they would be enough.

They ran back to the front entrance of the shrine. She tried to think if she had forgotten anything. It felt so odd, to go out after a dangerous youkai without the support of their other friends, but she felt steadied by Inuyasha's presence. Glancing over, she saw that his expression was set, as usual, in irritation, but even that was reassuring, and she smiled to herself.

They reached the stairs, where Jii-chan awaited them. There was no sign of Kitamura, and Kagome hoped that he had been taken somewhere he could rest. Mama was down at the bottom, assisting Inbe to descend the last few steps; Souta was with them, bouncing in excitement.

"Kagome, I have some ofuda I want you to take. The designs have been passed down through many generations in our family, and should be of use to you." Jii-chan withdrew the paper seals from his kimono and held them out to her. "I made them myself, of course," he added proudly. Inuyasha tapped his foot impatiently and sighed loudly.

She looked around anxiously as she accepted the ofuda. "Where did Yasei go? We've got to hurry if we're going to catch the next train out…" _And how are we going to be able to hurry while we have Inbe-ojiisan with us—_

"Oh, you won't have to take the train," Jii-chan said blithely. "Inbe has a car. That's where that young assistant of his has gone, he's bringing it around front right now."

"Let's go." Abruptly Inuyasha grabbed her and hustled her down the stairs; she was able to briefly turn and wave goodbye to her grandfather as they clattered down headlong.

Down at the street Mama was saying a few words to Inbe. When they reached her she turned to Kagome, and smiled, a little tensely. "Be careful, dear. Both of you."

Inuyasha snorted at that. "Ah, don't worry. I'll keep her safe." Mama beamed at him, and he colored a bit, looking away.

At that moment a car pulled up to the curb, stopping with a screech of hastily-applied brakes and a cloud of diesel exhaust. Inbe winced, and all three of them coughed. It was an elderly Mercedes-Benz sedan, and Kagome could see Yasei at the wheel. He threw the emergency brake and got out, darting around to open the front passenger door for Inbe. "You can put your stuff in the trunk, it's unlocked," he said to Kagome brusquely as he assisted the old man into the seat. "Do we need to stop by the shrine, sir?" he asked Inbe, a bit more respectfully.

"No, Yasei. I have emergency implements in the trunk for this kind of circumstance. We can go straight to Ome from here, and then find Kiwazasu." He paused. "Though I do wish I had some sakaki branches."

"Those grow in our courtyard, Inbe-san--I'll get some!" Souta sprinted up the stairs.

"Are you sure you don't want to stop at home, sir?" asked Yasei doubtfully. "If it's just us…" His eyes flicked to Kagome and Inuyasha, and back to the priest, his lack of confidence in them obvious.

"We'll be fine," Inbe replied calmly. "And I asked Mrs. Higurashi if she would call the shrine for us and let them know where we are going." He nodded to Mama with a smile.

Kagome had moved around to the trunk and laid her bow and the quiver of arrows in it carefully. Inuyasha had walked around, surveying the vehicle doubtfully.

"We're going in this thing?" he sniffed.

"It's faster than the train," she said. "I hope. It _does_ look like an older car."

He frowned at her. "Is it safe? _I_ could take you—"

"It should be fine, Inuyasha. I think it will be the quickest way to get us all there." _If it doesn't break down. _"I hope we don't run into a lot of traffic."

Souta, running headlong down the steps with a fistful of sakaki branches, skidded to a stop at the bottom, panting. He handed the pile through the window to Inbe, who accepted them gratefully, and then the boy stepped back to stand next to his mother on the sidewalk. Kagome smiled at them went around to the back passenger side door and slid in.

"Do your best, Kagome!" Mama's eyes were suspiciously bright.

"Aw, Mama. She'll be fine with Inu no niisan!" Souta grinned up his hero, standing next to him. For Inuyasha had not followed Kagome into the car. He was frowning at her from the sidewalk, his arms crossed. She scooted over and patted the seat invitingly.

"Come on!" Yasei yelled. He and Inbe were in front and belted in; he gunned the engine impatiently, producing another cloud of exhaust. Inbe looked over at his driver reprovingly.

"Yasei, don't waste gas like that. It's not helping." He turned and spoke out the window to Inuyasha, who if anything looked even more stubborn, and was glaring angrily at the kitsune. "Inuyasha, please get in. We need to leave as quickly as possible to avoid rush hour traffic."

"Inuyasha, come on." Kagome said urgently. She reached out, grabbed his sleeve, and yanked. He was surprised enough to let her pull him forward. The kitsune snickered under his breath.

"Keh." Inuyasha gave the kitsune a final glare, and then climbed the rest of the way into the back seat, a bit awkwardly. Kagome reached across him to close the door, pressing against him as she did so; he grunted softly in surprise, and she looked up at him with a little grin. _I'd better get his seatbelt too,_ she thought, but before she could even say anything the car jerked abruptly into motion, skittering sideways into traffic, and with a little shriek she slid into him, both of them pressed against the door.

"Hey, what the hell are you doing, asshole?" Inuyasha yelled. Yasei was weaving through traffic at a high rate of speed; Inuyasha grabbed her before she could slide away across the seat when Yasei abruptly turned a corner. She saw with a wince that he had dug his claws into the leather seat in a secure grip. _Hope Inbe-ojiisan won't be mad about the damage. But then he lets Yasei drive this car…_

The kitsune was grinning like a maniac. "We're in a hurry, aren't we? Just trying to get out of Tokyo as soon as possible."

"We won't get anywhere fast if the police stop you for speeding," Kagome gasped. "And you're going to break this old car, driving like that!"

"I'm going to fucking kill you if you don't stop this shit, fox!" Inuyasha looked ready to climb over the seat and throttle him.

Yasei chortled. "The cops won't even see us. I'm a kitsune, you know." He spun the steering wheel violently as he took another corner, tires squealing. He apparently never touched the brakes. At all. "And this car may be old, but it's in great shape. I could take this on the Autobahn with no problems!"

"Yasei is a little too fond of watching Formula One races on television, but he is a good driver. Please don't be alarmed," remarked Inbe from the front seat. "At this rate we will be able to get on the highway shortly and be able to make good time to Ome." He was examining the map that Kitamura had given him. "I'm afraid that it will be dark before we get to Mrs. Shibutoi's house, though. It's quite off the beaten path."

They were now on a straight road heading to the highway on-ramp, and picking up speed; Kagome took the opportunity to buckle herself in. She looked over at Inuyasha, still gripping the seat, and took his hand. "You okay?" she murmured.

He gave her a little glare. "Why the fuck wouldn't I be?" He was still gripping the seat with one hand, claws dug in, and he pressed hers with the other. He leaned back casually, even as the car skidded up the expressway ramp, bouncing roughly over some uneven pavement.

Once on the highway the ride smoothed out, despite Yasei weaving around the other cars on the road at high velocity. Kagome tried to relax, leaning back into the seat. She glanced at the scenery whizzing past, then looked toward the mountains looming in the distance. In the front seat, Inbe was still examining the map.

"How long will it take us to get there, Inbe-ojiisan?" she asked. The urgency she felt had not abated; it beat against her consciousness relentlessly.

Inbe looked back at her. "At the rate Yasei is going, probably about thirty minutes to Ome. But then we will need to drive into the mountains, and it appears that at least some of the roads up there are not paved." He pursed his lips worriedly. "And I hope we don't lose any time to getting lost."

"Just get close enough, and I'll be able to get the scent," said Inuyasha. His face was pressed against the window as he stared out at the metropolitan area they passed through, and she saw his nose wrinkle in disgust. "Assuming it stinks less in the mountains than it does here."

"Hey, that reminds me—you probably want the window open, don't you Inu-san?" Yasei smirked, and hit the button for the power window. The window closest to Inuyasha opened and immediately wind roared through the car, nearly snatching the map out of Inbe's hands. Inuyasha, his hair whipping around wildly, stuck his head out, his expression curious, before he recoiled, coughing.

"Close that! It fucking smells even worse here!" he snarled.

His demand was echoed by both Kagome and Inbe, protesting the blast of exhaust-laden air. Still smirking, Yasei closed the window.

"I thought dogs loved open car windows," he chortled. Kagome gave him an icy look as she tried to put her hair back in order, but gasped when Inuyasha gave him a whack on the back of his head.

"Ow!" the kitsune yelled, and the car swerved.

"I. Am not. A dog. Get it, you stupid fuck?" Inuyasha had hit him several more times before Kagome could grab his arm.

"Not while he's driving, Inuyasha!"

Yasei freed a hand to rub the lumps rising on his head, and scowled in the rear view mirror. "Yeah, not while I'm driving, shithead! You want to get us all killed?"

"Only one of us," Inuyasha grumbled, but settled back in the seat.

"All right, you two, that's enough," said Inbe mildly. "We need to think about fighting the creature possessing Michiko, not each other." He looked over his shoulder to the back seat. "Kagome, when I agreed to take on this case, I had thought it would be simple and straightforward. I've since begun to revise my assessment, but I need more information. I was hoping you could tell me what exactly happened at the hospital. Kitamura-san was not there, and what he could tell me seemed…garbled."

She slid a sideways look at Inuyasha. "I don't know how well I can explain it, but I'll try."

Tokyo receded in the distance as she recounted her first meeting with Michiko; how she had managed to shield the girl and herself against the creature possessing her, and its destructive reaction, as well as Inuyasha's part in repelling it, since the hanyou seemed content to let her talk. By the time they were nearing the exit to Ome, Inbe had extracted through skillful questioning more details of the incident than Kagome thought she remembered. He was particularly interested in the lines of power that she had severed with her shield.

"Interesting," he remarked. "That's something I've read about but not seen."

"Did I do it right?" Kagome blurted worriedly. "I hope this isn't all because I did something wrong."

"No, no," he soothed. "You did _very_ well, Kagome. But I think that you were also fortunate that the link was weak, due to the demon being so far away. I think we will have to be very careful on its home ground."

"So what's the plan?" she asked.

"If we have time, we should find out more information about the house itself for clues as to what sort of monster is penned in it. Perhaps some locals can tell us its history, and we can devise a plan from there."

Kagome bit her lip, and leaned forward, placing her hand on the back of his seat. "But, Inbe-ojiisan. I don't think we have the time. Every minute feels worse and worse." _It feels like despair, and she's so scared…_ "Why do I feel like this?" Beside her, Inuyasha frowned, clenching his fists, but said nothing.

Inbe said seriously, "I'm not sure, Kagome. Probably you formed a connection with Michiko when you helped her the first time." He patted her hand reassuringly. "I know time is precious, my dear. We'll get to her as fast as we can."

They were pulling off the expressway into Ome, and Kagome peered out the window. She had never been out here before…at least not in this time. The town was nestled in the foothills of the mountains; the sun had already set behind them, and the sky was darkening. Yasei sped somehow through streets crowded with traffic, and at Inbe's direction began climbing a winding road up.

The entire way from the shrine they had driven through the unbroken development of the Kanto Plain, all part of the greater Tokyo metropolitan area. Only now did the houses become farther and farther apart as they climbed up into the forested heights, which seemed dark and uncanny in the gloaming.

Kagome fidgeted in her seat as time ticked by; she knew from a brief look at the map that they would be wending their way across the folds of the mountain range and they had a ways to go yet. Yasei had actually slowed down, but there was no help for it. The road here was narrow as it ran along a ridge; in the fading light she could see a sheer dropoff below them, and shuddered. Inuyasha had figured out how to get the window down himself and sniffed the much cleaner mountain air, eyes narrowed with concentration.

A long time after the last house had gone by, they reached the end of the paved part of the road. It ended at a small roadside shrine that showed little sign of activity. "Inbe-sama? Do you know where we are?" Yasei asked. He had stopped the car as he regarded the dirt road ahead of them doubtfully. It was unmarked and apparently deserted. Ancient cedars crowded close to the verge, their overhanging branches blocking what little light there still was. Early evening mist was beginning to appear, floating in patches across the road ahead

Inbe was now studying the map by the light of a small flashlight. "I think so. Keep following the road." Yasei went forward, slowly, but picked up some speed when the road appeared to be fairly smooth and well maintained. He had to slow only for sharp switchbacks as they ascended higher.

They drove on for a while without seeing any sign of habitation. The light had entirely disappeared; Kagome worried that they might miss the house. All she could see were the trunks of trees, and the darkness beyond.

But as they turned yet another blind corner, they were all surprised to see a figure, outlined by the headlights, trudging by the side of the road up ahead. Inbe sat up straight.

"Pull up to him, please. Hopefully he will know the place we are looking for."

Kagome could see that the figure appeared to be a man, wearing what appeared to be robes of some kind. "Who do you think he could be?" she asked.

"A yamabushi, from the looks of it," Inbe replied, his eyes intent on the man. "It would make sense on a wild mountain like this."

They pulled up to the figure, still walking forward with no sign that it had noticed the car, and Inbe leaned out the window. "Excuse me," he said politely.

The man stopped, turning his head slowly to look first at Inbe, then at each individual in the car. He said nothing, and Kagome was struck by his odd appearance. Swathed in loose robes, he appeared slightly hunched, but his face was even stranger. Even in the cool white glow of the dome light inside the car, his face appeared flushed and red, but he didn't appear exerted. His nose was oddly long; he stared down along its length at them with black eyes that glittered in the light.

"We are looking for a residence that is somewhere near here," said Inbe, staring up at the man keenly. "It was purchased recently by a family named Shibutoi. Do you know of it?"

He said nothing, and merely stared at Inbe, his face blank. The moment stretched. Inuyasha, irritated with the delay, leaned forward. "Oi!" he barked. "You deaf or something? He asked you a question." Still no response, but Kagome thought she detected a change in expression on that strange face. Amusement? Or anger?

"Please, sir," Kagome blurted. The face pointed at her. "We need to find it. A very old house. Someone there is in trouble and we have to get to her quickly."

The man gave her a measuring stare, his face clear of all expression once again. He finally spoke.

"Go ask at the temple." His voice sounded harsh and rasping. "It is not far." He pointed further up the road, but the only thing visible in the reach of the headlights was a steep incline through the forest. Abruptly he turned, and left the road, walking into the woods. In a heartbeat there was no sign of him among the dark tree trunks.

"What a weirdo." Yasei was frowning.

"Hm." Inbe was looking at where the man had disappeared. "I don't suppose we could have expected much." He shook his head, then turned to Yasei. "There is a temple marked on the map, so I have a good idea of where we are, now. Go ahead, we shouldn't be far."

The road twisted around several more bends, becoming rougher and bumpy with tree roots and rocks, but still navigable. Shortly they saw some light glimmering through the trees, and then a building appeared ahead of them.

It was a small, slightly shabby Buddhist temple. They pulled up to the gate, parked and got out; Yasei left the headlights on, as the illumination from the temple was feeble. Kagome scanned the temple grounds uncertainly as she stepped from the car. It looked deserted, and creepy in the dark. It was utterly quiet here, but for the sound of the wind soughing in the branches. No sounds of life at all. She noticed a small cemetery to one side, wisps of fog threading through the stones, and shivered.

Inbe was ahead of them; he walked through the gate to the entrance to the temple, calling out to see if anyone was there. He knocked on the front door with his cane, and called several more times. On his last call the door opened, and a short, round monk appeared. He looked rumpled, as though he had been sleeping in those robes. His face, initially irritated, gave way to surprise when he saw Inbe, and the monk bowed respectfully.

"Sorry for the delay. Temple visiting hours are between dawn and dusk…but if you're travelers needing help—" he said, squinting at them in the glare of the headlights.

"We are not here to visit the temple," said Inbe. "I am sorry to disturb you, but we have an urgent errand and need some information and perhaps assistance. We are trying to find the Shibutoi residence. It's an emergency."

"The Shibutoi residence? You mean the old manor?" The monk paled, startled. "The place is cursed!"

"So we've heard." Inbe smiled slightly.

The monk scrubbed his face with his hands, as though to wake himself up, and walked out towards the car, Inbe following. Once out of the direct glare of the headlights he peered at the three others, his face anxious.

"That place is dangerous. Very, very dangerous." He looked back at Inbe. "Are you _sure_ you want to go there?"

"Of course we want to go there! Why the hell else would he ask you?" Inuyasha snorted. Kagome saw him sniff, suddenly distracted, and he looked off further down the road.

"I have been asked to perform an exorcism at the house," Inbe went on, eyeing the monk narrowly. "Can you tell me where it is, and something of what we might expect there?"

"An exorcism." The monk twisted his hands together nervously. "Be very careful, priest. It's no ordinary youkai sealed in that place."

"Well, spit it out. What the hell is it?" Inuyasha asked irritably.

"A very strong youkai," said the monk. He was sweating now. "A powerful demon that was sealed there hundreds of years ago. Many monks died before it was defeated. This temple was established here to help maintain the seal, and that is what we have done. For centuries the monks stationed here have maintained and strengthened the shields to keep it in. Or we have, until recently."

Inbe moved to a bench near the cemetery, sitting with a grunt. "What happened recently?"

The monk edged closer, still wringing his hands and regarding Inbe worriedly. "I don't know how the title to the property came to be available, apparently some mixup in the district office or the capital. But then again, I don't know why someone would want to buy it!" He flicked a glance at the rest of them before looking back at Inbe, regarding him from the bench. "That Shibutoi woman was warned by _everyone_ around here, but she still insisted on moving in." He shook his head. "So foolish."

"Where _is_ the house?" asked Kagome, clenching her hands in impatience. They must be close…Michiko's fear was nearly palpable. They needed to go on!

"If you keep following the road, it will go over the ridge directly to the house. It overlooks the next valley," he said, pointing up the road. He turned back to Inbe. "As for what you might expect, well. It's hard to say now. Ever since that woman bought it she has refused any of us entry. I haven't been able to get in to apply fresh ofuda in weeks." He gave them all a wild look. "What's happening there now? Who called you here?"

"Tell me more about the youkai," asked Inbe, his voice calm and even.

The monk let out a breath. "The story is that a great monk and his followers fought a great battle against a powerful demon that they had trapped within the house. It was a stronghold then, not really a house; the youkai had killed the lord and all his retainers. The monks managed to seal it there, in one of the walls, at the cost of all their lives. This cemetery is their memorial," he said, pointing in the direction of the graves.

"And what do _you_ think is happening in there?" Inbe asked.

"I don't know." The monk shivered. "I just hope that crazy woman hasn't tried to remove the seals!"

Inbe looked at the rest of them. "It's not much to go on, but I think we cannot take any more time." He looked back at the monk. "Would you accompany us? Perhaps Shibutoi-san will allow you access now."

The monk retreated a step. "Uh, no. I will need to make a, a phone call or two. Maybe I can follow later."

Inbe cocked an eyebrow at him. "Are you sure? We can give you a ride over…"

"No, uh, it's a short walk!" He backed up, then turned and hurried for the temple. He called over his shoulder, "Good luck!" before disappearing inside. They heard what sounded like a bar being thrown across the door.

Silence, for a moment; Kagome stared at the door in dismay. Suddenly there was an outburst of crows calling in the treetops. Kagome looked up, but couldn't see anything in the darkness, and the cawing receded as the crows moved away. _They must have been disturbed by the noise,_ she thought, frowning. But when she looked down she surprised a worried look on Inbe's face.

"Let's go, children," he said, and moved to the car. "Quickly."

"Some help," Yasei grumbled as he climbed back behind the wheel. They all got back in, Inuyasha last. He hesitated for a long moment, staring up the road, before getting back to the car.

"Did you smell anything?" Kagome asked him anxiously when he slid into the back seat.

"Yep. That bitch-scent, it's over the ridge," he nodded to the road forward. He sat forward, not tense, but watchful.

"Be careful, Yasei," said Inbe. He definitely looked concerned now, Kagome thought, as the kitsune wheeled the car around sharply and sent it forward, gravel flying, towards the ridge and presumably the house. It was completely dark now; the road turned and twisted its way up, making it difficult to see around the next bend. The left side of the road appeared to verge on a ravine or a steep dropoff.

"I always am, sir!" said Yasei, not slowing down. "Haven't I always—"

At that moment what appeared to be a huge animal, bigger than a horse, leaped into the road just in front of them, opened a mouth wide with sharp teeth and screeched. Yasei swore, slammed the brakes, and jerked the wheel around violently, but he couldn't stop in time and had nowhere to go. The huge trunks of trees loomed on the right side, and to avoid hitting them he made a panicked swerve to the left, sending the car over the edge.

Kagome screamed as the car struck something and rebounded with a sickening crunch, and began to slide down the incline. The headlights revealed that they were heading down a nearly vertical drop to a deep gorge far below, and she clutched the car seat in panic.

"Shit! I knew this would happen!" Next to her, Inuyasha angrily slammed his arm against the car door on his side. It popped off with a squeal of tortured metal and he was gone. Abruptly the car jerked to a halt, seeming to float above the ravine.

"I thought you could fucking drive, asshole," Inuyasha's voice came up from underneath the car. Kagome let out her breath and relaxed her death grip as the car was carried back to the road and set down with a small bump. He was standing beside the car, Tessaiga drawn, and was scanning the area warily. "You all right, Kagome?"

She murmured a reassurance as she crawled out, shaking a little. Yasei had gotten out immediately and was inspecting the underside of the car with a flashlight. He frowned fiercely. "Damn, the driveshaft's broken. That's it." He got up and gave Inuyasha a sulky look. "I can too drive, shithead. When I don't have giant _things_ running out in front of me."

Inuyasha snorted. "And you a kitsune. That thing didn't have any scent, stupid. It was _fake_."

Kagome was assisting Inbe out of the car; he looked shaken, but unhurt. "Are you alright, Inbe-ojiisan?" she asked, looking him over.

"Yes, I'm fine. Thank you, Inuyasha, for saving us." He shook his head. "I hope the house is not far, because we will have to walk."

"I'll carry you, Inbe-sama," said Yasei, looking contrite.

They got their things out of the trunk, Kagome her quiver of arrows and her bow, and Inbe directed the kitsune to pack up his implements. Inuyasha put Tessaiga away, and motioned Kagome towards his back. "Let's go," he said impatiently.

"Thanks," she said, climbing on. "Though we're already really close."

"Thought you were the one in a hurry," he grunted, and took off.

_I am,_ she thought. Michiko's fear was so close now, it throbbed like a pulse. _Hurry. Hurry. Hurry._ She clutched Inuyasha's shoulders as he bounded past Yasei, loading up Inbe and his equipment. "Kagome--!" she heard the priest call. She waved behind her distractedly but didn't look back.

They were not far from the top of the ridge. As they came over they could see light, fairly close, and the lights of a village far down in the valley. Cautiously following the road, they saw a couple of lamps marking an unpaved driveway entrance. The lamps partially illuminated a clearing, and at the end of the drive the dark bulk of a large building loomed.

A ditch and the ruins of an old wall encircled the property. The building appeared to be an old manor house, familiar to Kagome from her journeys in the feudal era. Not quite a castle, but something obviously built to take advantage of a defensive position here near the top of the mountain. It was in very good shape for a structure that old.

The trees pressed in on the crumbling wall, but within it the land was cleared but weedy. The house was mostly dark; there was a faint glow in the window, as if there was light in a back room, mostly obscured.

Then Kagome looked up, and caught her breath. Taller than the surrounding trees, the form of an immense black fox rose above the house, outlined in the eerie green glow of foxfire. Nine tails were arrayed behind it, spread in a peacock display. It looked down on them with eyes that glowed fiery red, burning with rage and hatred.

Inuyasha heard her gasp, and followed her gaze.

"Crap."

TBC

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_Yamabushi:_ ascetic mountain priests and warriors.


	16. Chapter 16

Disclaimer: Inuyasha and associated characters are the property of Rumiko Takahashi.

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**Chapter 16**

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_Sengoku Jidai_

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The smell of blood, copious and very close by, was the second thing that registered to Shippou's senses, even before he was conscious enough to open his eyes. The first was an awareness of pain, intense and nauseating; a debilitating pain that throbbed through his whole body, but especially his head. He struggled to escape from the wretched fog of it, to get up, to get away, panicking at his body's sluggish refusal to move. Finally his limbs responded and he rolled over onto his stomach with a gasp, and opened his eyes, panting in incipient hysteria. He froze, his eyes darting across the scene before him.

Shippou was inured to the sight and smell of death and the aftermath of battle. He had witnessed his own father's violent murder, lived through the years of brutal struggle with Naraku and his minions. Seeing the bodies of a dozen men-at-arms lying strewn around the bailey of the fortified manor house was not what immobilized him. Even the fact that he had nearly rolled into a pool of congealing blood, its late owner not a foot away, brought little more than relief that it was only a corpse, and not an enemy.

No, the enemy was the one he had followed here. His _friend._ _Soen_ had done this, all of this. And that shock and bewilderment was what held him paralyzed, unable to think of where to go, what to do next, as he stared out at the carnage.

There was no movement around the broad courtyard but the flapping of crows, already gathering. It was silent but for their caws echoing across the mountainside. The early morning light was weak, the face of the distant sun covered with a thin veil of clouds, as though unwilling to gaze at the sight below. He saw no sign of his companion anywhere, inside or out; the gaping doorway of the manor house was empty but for the bodies of defenders. He was alone.

With a trembling hand the young kitsune reached up and felt the back of his head. It was matted and sticky, with his own blood, as he found when he brought his hand back to look. The pain was making him want to retch, and he swallowed, trying to quell his rebellious stomach. After a moment, he felt more in control of himself and turned his throbbing head, gingerly, on a neck that felt barely capable of holding it up, to look back at what he had hit. Directly behind him was the inside of the wall that surrounded the manor, spattered with more blood. That smear, above him, was undoubtedly his. He had hit very hard, from the look of it; the wall was cracked. With an effort he rose to his knees, then his feet.

They had come here to scout, Soen had said. _Scout._ Not…this. He stumbled forward, his only thought to get out of this courtyard and the overwhelming smell of blood and guts, before he started heaving. He quickly found it was easier on all fours, and crawled along the wall to the covered gates, torn open and hanging askew on their hinges. There were only a couple of bodies out here, and he sat down against the outside wall, shaking from the effort and gulping down lungfuls of the cleaner air. He gazed out over the landscape revealed by the light of day.

The manor looked southwest out of its gate, down the slope, cleared of trees, to the fields in the valley below. It was built to take advantage of a natural plateau near the top of the mountain, a common defensive arrangement for a stronghold like this. It might be good against soldiers or bandits, Shippou thought hopelessly, but what good against one maddened youkai? _What had set her off like that?_ Blearily he thought back to his last clear memory…

_It had been child's play to creep up on the manor in the dark, just as Soen had said. The journey to the place had even been fun; a couple of hours' run through the wooded hills to the mountain, up the steep slope, and then exaggerated stealth once they got close to the walls. The front gate, slightly ajar, was guarded by a pair of men-at-arms. The men, visible in the small pool of light provided by a pair of torches, leaned negligently against the walls to either side as they talked in low voices._

_Shippou had paused and looked over to Soen at his side; she was almost invisible, her black coat indistinguishable from the inky darkness. He saw her eyes, glowing slightly blue-greenish like foxfire, as she turned to him._

"_Let's get closer," she whispered. "They might have some useful gossip."_

_Useful for what, he wondered, but complied. They moved forward, taking care to be silent, and he could begin to hear snippets of the men's conversation. Something about their lord and his relations in the capital. Soen paused, ears pricked forward intently. Shippou found the gossip mildly interesting, as it reflected on the doings of the Shogun in far-away Kyoto; that sort of news was hard to come by, out here in the provinces. Why would the guards here in this backwoods place have heard about it?_

_As Shippou and Soen loitered in the darkness, a pair of serving women came out of the gate bearing refreshment for the two very appreciative guards. The men quaffed the sake the women brought, and the conversation turned to jokes at the expense of the lord and lady, who the women said were safely asleep. _

"_They had another fight tonight," one of the women said, pouring out more of the warm rice wine; Shippou could see it steam in the cool evening air. "She's sorry more than ever about being tied to somebody 'beneath her station' and stuck out in the middle of nowheres, while her sister is getting married to some fancy courtier in the capital."_

"_But wasn't his grandad a by-blow of an emperor? That don't count for anything with her?" the guard on the left said. "Though o'course, half of the country's descended from an emperor, if it come to that." He tossed back another cupful with a guffaw._

"_To be sure, but she's related to the Shogun. Much more important, you see," laughed the woman. _

"_The Shogun ain't nothin' but a puppet," grumbled the other guard. "If I was my lady, I'd rather be related to the Takeda or some other strong clan. Not those flower-sniffers in the capital."_

"_Ah, but see, Goro." The woman poured sake into his outstretched cup. "The Shogun's family, and hers, is descended from the great Minamoto. She reads stories about them all the time, tales of heroes and ladies and such. Not too many stories about the emperors, see, so the Minamoto bloodline's so much more impressive, as far as my lady is concerned."_

_Goro was rumbling a response, but Shippou never heard it. Beside him, Soen stiffened, her eyes blazing with sudden fire. "Yes!" she hissed. "Shippou, they ARE the ones!" _

_The guard on the left turned, gripping his spear as he peered into the darkness. "Who's out there?" he yelled. One of the women shrieked softly and edged towards the opening in the gate._

_Startled, Shippou began "Soen, what-" as he turned to her, but she was already moving. With a joyous scream she leaped forward, transforming, getting larger with every step._

_In the blink of an eye she had reached the gates, her form now that of a golden fox as big as a draft horse. More tails waved behind her than Shippou could count. With one swipe of her claws, she sliced the right-hand guard from neck to groin. Without pausing she bit into the neck of the guard on the left, shaking him violently before dropping him in the dust. The women had fled screaming behind the gates, not even trying to close them. Contemptuously Soen struck the gates, blowing them open with a crash, and ran in._

_Shippou had stood still in shock—it had happened so fast. But now he shook himself and raced after her, his thoughts in turmoil. What was she…?_

_He got to the gate opening in time to see her rip out the throat of one of the women—the other still ran, screaming, for the manor. Men, armed and half-armed, were running out of the building and around the sides, yelling as they ran to meet the invader. Dogs barked from somewhere further on._

_Shippou stared in disbelief and horror. This was crazy—how could she—? He had one thought—to stop her. She was insane—someone had to! _

"_Soen!" He ran up behind her. She was tearing into the hastily-assembled ranks of men in front of her—men screamed and died as she ripped them open, snapped necks and backs in a whirlwind of fury. Shippou launched himself forward to grab at her right foreleg, and yell in her ear, "STOP! SOEN-" With a growl, she swiped at him with the other paw, no sign of recognition in her eyes, now glowing blood-red. He managed to dodge, but lost his grip on her leg, slick with blood, and tumbled to the ground in front of her. Desperately, he blasted at her face with foxfire, hoping to snap her out of whatever had possessed her. "Soen, STOP! It's me! You have to stop!" She recoiled at the flames, hissing, and seemed to focus on him- _

"_Stay out of my way!" she shrieked. She struck him in the face, a powerful backhanded blow that sent him flying. Dazed, he tried to tuck into a ball before he hit—and then he smashed into something hard—_

_Darkness._

Shippou scrubbed at his face, moist with blood, or something. _It's gotta be blood, because men don't cry,_ he thought mordantly. He must have been out for hours. It was so quiet…was everyone dead? The guards, the women at the gate…he couldn't help them. Any of them. _A lot of good I was._ Where was Soen now? He couldn't smell anything but death, and swiped at his clogged nose. His hand came away brown with dried blood.

He stared at it in disgust, and wiped it on his already-filthy clothes._ Useless, that's what I am, _he thought dismally. _Useless without big backup. If only I hadn't agreed to go last night…stalled Soen, maybe got Sango and Miroku to come…would this have turned out differently?_

Dully, he stared down at the valley, wondering if the peasants down there in their village had heard anything. He saw no movement, heard nothing but the damned crows, their caws mocking. And then he did see movement; he got up, squinting. Was it the villagers, coming up to look…? Maybe he should warn them off somehow, at least until he could check the place, make sure it was safe…

No. He focused on the line of dark-clad figures, just starting up the path from the valley far below. Not peasants. These men were toiling purposefully uphill, in two-by-two formation, their faces hidden by the bowl-like gasa they wore.

_Monks._ Shippou stared, thinking. What were they coming up here for? To investigate? To bury the dead? To track down the killer? Bemused, for a few minutes he watched them climb; at the rate they were going they'd be here soon. And then he froze in sudden realization: whatever they were coming here for, they certainly wouldn't be friendly to _him_. They'd probably want to exterminate him on sight.

_If only Miroku was here. _Miroku, annoying lech though he was, would know what to say to these guys, he thought wistfully. He shook himself, and began backing away. He might as well wish for his father. There would be no Miroku or Sango, no Kagome or Inuyasha to the rescue. He was as alone as he was before he met any of them.

The young kitsune took one more look down at the approaching monks, then turned to make his way to the manor. He could see if Soen was there, and had regained her mind; if she had, maybe he could warn her. As he passed through the gate, he glanced down at the body of one guard—Goro?— lying in the dust, and his face hardened. Or maybe he wouldn't say a thing.

The crows were perched watchfully around the bailey; he avoided looking at them as he moved carefully toward the manor door. He could feel their beady eyes upon him. He got up the steps, and peered inside the entranceway.

It was worse than the bailey. There were some men-at-arms lying in here, but most of the corpses were obviously servants, women…and some kids. Shippou swallowed back bile as he recognized the gossipy serving woman, lying twisted like a heap of bloody rags in a doorway, and inched past her. The interior of the house looked like it had been torn apart by typhoon winds, painted panels broken and flattened, delicate and expensive shoji shredded. The glow of weak morning light coming from the outside did little to alleviate the gloom, but instead made strange shapes in the semidarkness, shapes he approached nervously, then cursed himself for being scared of. Peering around the piles of wreckage, sidestepping more bodies, he made a circuit through the clear areas, searching for Soen, or for signs of life. He couldn't even hear the crows now, it was so silent. _There's nothing but corpses in here, _he thought, angrily swallowing against the lump in this throat. _Soen, how could you do this? And where the hell are you?_ He had to hurry and get out of here.

Picking his way carefully, he neared the back wall of the house; he could see an open door, and a view to the veranda and the garden beyond. He passed what was left of an interior room, and paused, swallowing again. Two people, a man and a woman, lay on the blood-soaked tatami, eviscerated, their entrails artistically arranged in a circle around them. From the agonized expressions frozen on their faces, it may have been done while they were still alive. He looked away, quickly.

A slight noise jerked his attention to the right, where an undamaged shoji hid the next room. A voice? He moved silently towards the sound, every sense straining. He could hear a tuneless humming, interspersed with the crackle of paper. A short bark of laughter startled him, and he recoiled, but when nothing happened he kept going. Every step was taken with care. He crept to the edge of the door and paused there, trying to listen over the pounding of his heart.

The sudden snap of her voice made him jump. "Come in, Shippou." He peered around the door, to see Soen, the old familiar Soen, regarding him irritably. She was kneeling at a low desk in what appeared to have been the lord's study; the room was intact, though there were papers scattered everywhere. "Where have you been? Some help you were." Then she looked more closely at him, her expression concerned. "You look terrible. What happened to you?"

He stared at her, speechless. Her appearance was again that of the girl he had become friends with in the forest. Hair and kimono impeccable, young, seemingly innocent. It was impossible to reconcile this with the monstrous things he had witnessed here.

"How could you do it?" His voice cracked as he forced the words out.

"What?" She stared at him, brows drawn in puzzlement.

He flung his arm back, his gesture taking in the house, the bailey, everything. "_How could you do all that? What ARE you?"_ he shouted, trembling.

She drew back, frowning. "I'll thank you not to scream at me. And as to 'all that,' as you put it, I thought I had been clear." She stared up at him unblinking, her eyes burning. _"Revenge._ I thought you, of all people, would understand."

Shippou sank down on his knees, facing her, his stomach roiling with rage and confusion. "_Revenge?_ You slaughtered everybody here, down to the babies! How could _they_ have done anything to you?" He shook his head. "It's _wrong_, Soen. So wrong." He shuddered, and breathed angrily, "You're not the person I thought you were."

She stared at him for a moment, her face blank. "I told you enough. These people were _Minamoto_. I am pledged to rid the world of every last one of them. That includes babies, and women, and men, retainers, slaves, and even the Emperor himself."

She turned away from his furious scowl to gaze out the back door of the room; the shutter was pulled back to reveal the garden. A plum tree was visible outside; the last of its blooms, flattened and spoiled, lay scattered on the ground. She continued, her voice low and intense.

"I _told_ you they destroyed my family. It was an old den, established centuries before when there were few humans around. When the Minamoto came, new to their power and expanding their holdings, they saw us as trouble, vermin to be exterminated. For such a large den of foxes, they sent to the capital, and they hired monks, and some sorcerers, and brought in their own soldiers. And dogs." Her voice dripped with disgust. "A whole pack of filthy dogs."

Her eyes had not left the garden as she spoke, but now she turned to face him. "And do you know what they did then?" she whispered, pinning him with a fierce, hypnotic gaze. He shook his head, mutely. "The monks and the sorcerers kept us all trapped in our den so we couldn't escape, and they sent in their men and their dogs. They didn't spare a single kitsune, old or young. My parents, my brothers and sisters, cousins, aunts and uncles-they were all killed, killed without mercy, in the dark of the den.

"I escaped, with my brother. My mother got us out before they sealed all the exits, told us to run. But they saw us." Her eyes had become wide, unseeing, as she spoke. "My brother shielded me with his own body when they shot at us. His last words to me were to run, to live, and _avenge them all_."

She got up, and loomed over Shippou, piercing him with eyes now black and pitiless. "And _that_," she said, her voice rising, "is why I will kill every single one of them, until the world ends. _No mercy for any of them_."

Shippou stared up at her, speechless. This cold-eyed creature was something different altogether from both the girl he had known in the forest, and the berserker from last night. Who was the real Soen?

"I will do the same to them as they did to us. You don't think that's fair? I thought you had considered revenge yourself, once." She sat back down, with a bitter smile. "Oh, wait. You had someone else to kill the Thunder Brothers _for_ you. Makes it a lot easier, doesn't it."

Shippou felt a chill as he thought of his father's murderers. If he hadn't met Kagome and Inuyasha then…but the Thunder Brothers were long dead now, and he was alive. Suddenly he felt overwhelmed by a rush of emotion—he missed them _both, _Kagome _and_ that stupid dog-boy. _Inuyasha always understood,_ he realized. "Yes, I was lucky to have someone to help me," he admitted. "But I didn't go after their whole family. Why should I go after their little sister, or anyone else? The ones who killed my pa were Hiten and Manten, not Souten."

She stared at him. "You are a strange one, Shippou. And stupid, to leave one alive. The sister will eventually find you and kill you." She sniffed, disdainfully.

Shippou shrugged. "She already tried once. I don't think she'll try it again." He tried not to let his smugness over his victory show. Souten was just a _girl_, after all.

"You think." Soen glowered at him, broodingly. Suddenly he was reminded that he had thought Soen 'just a girl' too, and not that long ago. "Little do you know. She's just biding her time, same as I did." Then she shrugged. "Well, that's your problem. Tracking down these fools is mine." She frowned down at the papers with an air of dismissal.

Shippou thought about leaving. Those monks would probably show up pretty soon, if they weren't scared off by the grisly scene in the bailey, and he desperately wanted to get away from here now. But he had failed here, failed to save any of these people. Maybe he could find out who she was going after next, and warn _them…_

"Soen." She looked up from her papers, cocking an eyebrow at him impatiently. "I'm…I'm sorry I doubted you." He tried his best to appear penitent, and bowed his head. "I hope you're not angry." He looked up at her with big puppy eyes. It always worked on Kagome.

She glared at him a moment longer, then sighed and reached down for the papers on the desk, shuffling them together. "No, I'm not angry. Now, we'd best clear out of here soon, before the clods down in the village come to investigate."

"Are you taking that stuff with you?" he asked, getting up. "What is it, anyway?"

"It's the reason why this particular place turned out to be so fortunate. The fool lady here had detailed genealogies of her kin. These will be useful for tracking down more of them."

_If all that fancy stuff wasn't just made up,_ Shippou snorted to himself. "What about the lord?" he ventured. "Guess you don't need to find _his_ relatives, right?"

"Hmph. Plenty of Minamoto blood running through the veins of the Imperial family. It's good to kill their offspring when I can, since the Emperor himself is hard to get to." She made a sour face. "Too many shields and protections in Kyoto. Maybe one day I'll be strong enough."

Shippou thought hard as he watched her roll up the papers on the desk and stack them neatly. Her story was horrifying. His father had told him that some kitsune lived in huge dens like she had described. And he could certainly see that she would want to take revenge on the one that ordered her family killed. But all of them? Wipe out a whole clan like the Minamoto? And kill the _Emperor?_ It was crazy, plain crazy. And she hadn't remembered that she had been the one to knock him out last night, in her frenzy. She looked perfectly sane, now. _Well, looks are deceiving,_ he thought, watching her covertly._ I'm not staying just to watch her go nuts again. I'm going to need help, though. Maybe I can get some of that stuff away, and take it back to Miroku and Sango. We can figure out what to do, then._

"Need help carrying that?" he asked casually.

"No, I've read what I needed to. I'm going to store the rest, so if I need it anytime soon I can come back to it." Picking up the documents, she turned to the wall behind her and gestured. Shippou felt a strange surge of energy coming from it, and was astonished to see a door open up, revealing a small, shallow room, an alcove really. The walls within appeared to be earthen, almost like an underground den.

"Where did that come from?" he sputtered. This room was in the back corner of the building; the wall, previous to whatever she had done, had been wooden and featureless. He was sure he'd have noticed a concealed door.

She looked at him over her shoulder, while she tossed the documents on the floor of the alcove, and turned back to him, dusting her hands absentmindedly. She knelt next to the desk again facing him.

"Your father never showed you?" she asked.

"Showed me _what?_"

"Hmm. All right." She folded her hands in front of her. "I haven't been completely honest with you, Shippou, and for that I'm sorry," she said.

"About what?" he asked, guardedly.

"I'm a bit older than I appear," she said, regarding him seriously. "That's how I know how to do a lot of things. Creating domains," she motioned to the alcove behind her, "is another kitsune talent. Making them comes with age, though I could show you how to open them."

"So how old are you, then?" he asked curiously.

She quirked her lips in a smile. "I haven't reached the pinnacle of my power yet, sad to say. But I am old enough to remember the Gempei War. I had so hoped those fool Taira could do my job for me. " She smirked to herself as she scooped up some more documents and turned back to stow them.

_The Gempei War was about 400 years ago! _Shippou was astounded. He had thought she'd be a few years older than he; but now he realized that her age explained the power she'd demonstrated last night. Power like that, concentrated in the hands of someone who would stop at nothing to achieve her ends, someone not sane…he felt a chill, and wished he wasn't alone.

"I'm not finished with this little pocket yet. What I'm going to do is link it to the other domains I've made, over time," she was saying. "But not directly. A sorcerer, say, would have to break through two sets of doors if I had to escape through one of these."

"Other domains?" Shippou was confused, and his face must have shown it, for she smiled indulgently at him.

"I have a few of these little spaces scattered around. My den in the forest where you found me was actually just a doorway to a bigger place closer to my family's old territory." She sighed. "Shippou, you remind me so much of my brother. Just for that I would be happy to teach you what I know. But," and she fixed him with a stern glare, "you can't be so squeamish about all this if you want to come with me."

"'_Squeamish_?'" He was unable to contain his outrage. The smell of death, the cawing of the crows, louder now—the atrocity she had committed— "Soen, you were crazy out there!" he yelled. "You even hit _me_ when I got in your way!" At her look of shock, he added, "How the hell did you think I got so beat up? It was _you_!"

She had gone white. "I don't—" The sound of something shifting in the wreckage of the manor house made him start, and both he and Soen spun to face the sound. Her eyes narrowed.

"Now who would dare wander in here?" she murmured. "Surely the peasants would stay away for a little while longer, and I made sure all the humans were dead. Stay here, Shippou." She moved quietly forward, slipping around the door and was gone.

_The monks. _Shippou now paused indecisively. He really shouldn't have stayed so long, he thought. _Time for a quick getaway._

Before he could move, there was a sudden crash, and the sound of men chanting rose strongly from not far away. He heard Soen screech and curse, and then heard more crashing noises, and the pounding of many feet. Panicked, he darted for the back door, but upon reaching it heard a shout.

"Another one, master!" A monk came into view from around the corner of the building, and flung an ofuda directly for him.

Shippou dove behind the sliding door as the ofuda struck it, and felt a painful tingle of spiritual power from the near miss. _Damn it! _His heart was pounding as he wildly looked for a place to hide; he had seconds. Just at that moment Soen crashed through the shoji into the room, closely pursued by several monks. Several ofuda were stuck to her here and there, sizzling with power as they burned off. She stood at bay hissing, partly transformed, claws extended from her hands, and the monks stopped.

They arranged themselves around one older man, clearly their leader. With a start, Shippou recognized Ungai, the famous youkai-exterminator they'd run into a long time ago. He was the guy stupid enough to have taken on Sesshoumaru, and lucky enough to survive the experience. Last week he'd overheard some runner tell Miroku that Ungai and his disciples were in the area. _Shit! Of all the monks that had to show up, it had to be him and his goons!_

"Youkai," Ungai intoned, his lip curled in disgust. He pointed his staff at them. "Do not fight us further, and I will grant you both an easy death, by the mercy of Buddha."

"It is you who will die, monk," she growled, her eyes never leaving the surrounding men, shifting and circling as well as they could in the limited space. "Shippou, get in!" Soen waved at the alcove. "_Now!"_ He didn't have time to argue—she shoved him in behind her as the monks jumped forward as one. At the same time the monk in the garden burst through the back door, ofuda at the ready.

He hit the back of the shallow alcove and spun, just in time to see her fall, her feet bound, in front of the doorway—the monks surrounded her in a semicircle, were making for the door, and him. She looked up at him, eyes wide as she flung up her hand in a wild gesture. "You'll be safe in there!" she shouted, and suddenly Shippou was could see nothing. Somehow she had closed him in—he leaped forward, hoping to knock the door open, only to slam hard into it. He slid to the floor in total darkness, paper crackling underfoot. He shuddered in claustrophobia, wheezing as he tried to quell his panic. With a gasp he lit the small space with a burst of foxfire directed upward. It was still a small box, with no evidence of a door on the wall he had come through, though it did seem thinner, somehow. He could hear muffled sounds: shrieks, cries of pain, and a deep chanting that was diminishing gradually.

Pressing his ear to that wall, he could hear her voice faintly, angry and desperate. "No, you _won't_ kill me here!" he heard her shout. "_You will all die!_ I have too much still to do!"

A deep voice, fainter, gasping. "If we cannot kill you, we will seal you, youkai, where your evil will not spread further."

"Try then, monk! See what it has gotten your followers," Soen laughed, and then shrieked suddenly, in pain and rage. Crashing sounds, more cries. The other monks? He could no longer hear any chanting. Shippou barely breathed in his effort to listen. He clawed at the door in frustration, willing it to open. _Open._ As he did so _something_, some quality of the wall, seemed to change. He pressed against it eagerly.

Without warning a force slammed at the other side, and a painful rush of power struck him, flooding his extremities like an electric charge. It burned! He felt his consciousness slipping—so dark, his foxfire went out—! _No—_

The last he heard was Soen's wail, seeming to come from inches and an eternity away. And then his body grew chill and unresponsive, freezing into immobility. He sank into darkness. _So…cold…_

* * *

A/N:

_Gasa:_ bowl-shaped straw hats, typically worn by Buddhist monks.


	17. Chapter 17

Disclaimer: Inuyasha and associated characters are the property of Rumiko Takahashi.

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**Chapter 17**

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_A fox. Huh. _Inuyasha stared critically up at the enormous creature, a black void against the starry night sky_. Wouldn't have thought they get all **that** strong. _Kagome slipped off his back, and he could hear her sliding her bow into position.

"Don't waste any arrows, Kagome," he said. "That's gotta be an illusion." If the fox was really that big the reek would be overwhelming, but all he sensed was the same thin thread of scent he had been following from the other side of the ridge. In fact, it could be a diversion for an attack from another quarter. He drew Tessaiga again, warily scanning the area.

"Are you sure?" she questioned uncertainly. He saw out of the corner of his eye that she had nocked an arrow anyway and held it ready, pointing upwards to the heart of the looming presence.

As well she should. The scent might be faint, but jyaki roiled from the building in front of them, thick and vile. If Michiko or anybody else was in there, they needed to get out _now_. He heard Yasei puffing as he hurried over the ridge, loaded as he was with the priest and his box of implements on his back. The young kitsune stopped short as he and Inbe came within view of the huge apparition.

The giant fox swept its glance over all of them, fiery eyes narrowing. Then with a hiss, it abruptly vanished.

Inuyasha turned to Kagome. "See?" he said with grim satisfaction.

Yasei was trotting down the slope towards them, panting. When he reached them he stopped, letting Inbe gently slip off his back, sighing with some relief when he was sure the old man had his feet securely on the ground.

Inbe had not taken his eyes off the building, but now he turned to them. "Kagome," he said slowly, "I'm afraid I have made a great mistake."

"What the fuck do you mean?" growled Inuyasha. The old fart better not back out _now._

The priest flicked him a glance, before turning to the kitsune. "Yasei, please take some of the sakaki branches and mark five points around it." He nodded at the building. "Be very careful." The boy nodded, retrieved some of the branches from the bundle of material they had brought, and set off smartly towards the edge of the property. Inbe's gaze followed him as he crossed the ditch, and he said, "I mean that I was foolishly confident that I would find a minor demon here. I shouldn't have dismissed the warnings. Purifying this house of the youkai in it is beyond my powers, I fear. I think all we will be able to do is contain it until we can get some help."

As they watched, Yasei paused, stuck one of the branches into the ground, and hurried off into the darkness on the right side of the building, glancing upward once in obvious nervousness.

Inuyasha snorted with exasperation at their unease. "Keh! What do you mean 'we,' old man?" he smirked, brandishing Tessaiga in front of him. "If you're gonna go all wimpy on us, just leave it to me. It's just a youkai."

Kagome touched his arm and turned to Inbe, her brows drawn. "You want to contain it? What about Michiko and her mother? They're still in there."

"I'm not sure that we dare approach the house. There is a tremendous evil aura surrounding it. My dear, I'm afraid there might not be anyone…still alive." The old priest continued to stare towards the building, his demeanor apprehensive.

"Michiko is," she said quietly. That gave him pause; he turned to look at her, an eyebrow raised. "Inbe-ojiisan, did Ogin-sama discuss my history with you at all?"

"Some, yes." He gave her a sideways look. "But Kagome—" he gestured toward the house, "it would take someone very powerful and experienced to slay this creature. The aura alone is very dangerous. You could be risking your life by going any closer."

"But we've got to get them out of there!" Kagome's expression was stubborn and determined, which to Inuyasha meant trouble. "Please, set up the containment. While you do that, Inuyasha and I will go in and get them out." She moved forward, putting action to words, but the hanyou stepped in front of her to block her progress.

"Wrong, wench. You'll stay here and help the old man, I'll go in and get the women out," he growled. Damn it, he'd better hurry before she took more stupid ideas into her head. Kagome opened her mouth, probably to argue with him, but then her eyes widened as she looked over his shoulder.

He spun, whipping Tessaiga around in expectation of an oncoming attack, only to see a short, dumpy woman emerge from the front doorway, faintly backlit by the dim light inside. She stumbled towards them, away from the house. Kagome darted around him and made a beeline for her, and with a curse he ran ahead so he would reach the woman first. _She _was real enough, smelling of distress and anger.

She was gasping, her face grey and doughy. He caught hold of her before she collapsed, Kagome supporting her on the other side. "Shibutoi-san?" Kagome asked, and the woman nodded weakly. "What's happening in there?" she asked urgently. Shibutoi tried to speak but could only cough and flail impotently.

Inuyasha picked her up one-armed and carried her quickly away from the house and the jyaki, and towards Inbe, who seemed to have woken up out of his trance or whatever. Kagome followed, looking anxiously over her shoulder from time to time. The old man had dragged his box of equipment to where the driveway crossed the ditch—probably the location of the old manor gate—and was setting up a small altar with hurried motions. The wind had picked up, stirring the previously still air and shredding the mist to ribbons, and moaned through the treetops. Weird shapes seemed to flicker and move under the surrounding trees, barely visible at the edge of the light. Inuyasha noted them as scentless and insubstantial, but Inbe was sweating nervously.

"I'm going to sue the hell out of somebody," Mrs. Shibutoi remarked conversationally, wheezing a bit as he set her down behind Inbe, who barely spared her a glance. She seemed to have recovered her breath. "Maybe the prefecture. If they're going to advertise property that reverted to the government, they ought to properly disclose problems, like that it's _cursed_."

"Uh," Kagome seemed to be biting back a comment, and said instead, "Shibutoi-san, where's your _daughter?_ Michiko?"

"In the back room." The woman coughed again, and looked up at her suddenly, moist eyes glinting in the light of the driveway lamps. "I couldn't get her to move. Please get her out of there. I think that _thing_ is almost free."

Without a word Kagome sprinted away. Inuyasha dashed after her, grumbling to himself, and ran with her to the front door, still standing ajar. A swirl of dust rose in eddies in the courtyard behind them as the wind strengthened.

"Kagome, go the hell back," he said, peering uneasily into the house. It smelled very suspicious in there, and the jyaki was overpowering. The reek of fox was stronger, but oddly mixed with the smell of old plaster and paper.

"Wait, let me try something," she said. "I'm the one who's supposed to be doing something here, right?" Kagome didn't seem to be affected by the jyaki, and was fumbling in her pocket distractedly.

"Whatever it is, hurry up," he said impatiently.

"There!" she said triumphantly, and drew out one of the ofuda her grandfather had given her. It was a bit crumpled, but intact. "Let me see…what did Miroku use to do?" She closed her eyes for a moment, and then slapped the ofuda forcefully against the doorframe. It stuck there, and glowed with power. Immediately the jyaki seemed to recede slightly. Kagome turned to him with a surprised, proud smile.

Abruptly the house shuddered, and a thin shriek of outrage rose, seemingly from all around them. Flakes of wood and dust fell from the ceiling of the entranceway above them as the house continued to shake. The wind rose another notch and now swirled violently in the courtyard, blasting them both with gravel and dirt. Kagome covered her head with her arms, and yelled to him "We've got to get Michiko out of here!" Beside her, the ofuda was shriveling, its glow extinguished; it smoked briefly and blackened into nothingness.

They pushed into the house, out of the reach of the screaming wind; he tried to cover her back as well as he could. At this point they'd better just grab the girl and leave, he thought. The house would probably be coming down pretty soon. There'd be time to slice up the youkai bitch later. "Kagome, this way!" he yelled over the sound of the wind and the groaning of the house. Walls rattled and shook as he pulled her with him towards the back, where the smell of the girl and the smell of fox converged.

They emerged into a large room; it appeared that a number of shoji and panels had been removed to increase the size of the space. The room was bare save for scraping tools and a single lamp, and Michiko. She was standing, facing the outer wall, and scrabbling at it single-mindedly with bare fingers, nails bloody and torn. Scraps of paper littered the floor. And the wall, dark with time, bore the remnants of having been papered, ceiling to floor, with many layers of ofuda.

Almost all of it had been scraped off. The only ofuda left, seemingly the oldest layer, was a small, roughly circular patch. There was a strange protuberance underneath them, something papered over, and this was what Michiko was determinedly scratching at.

This set off alarms in his head, and he leaped forward, wrenching the girl from the wall and pulling her away. Kagome grabbed hold of her, trying to get Michiko to face her, but the girl struggled towards the wall, and the ofuda.

"Michiko, stop! Wake up!" Kagome shook the girl. Her eyes were unfocused and wide, and she mumbled incoherently as she tried to pull away.

"We've got her. Now let's get the fuck out," Inuyasha barked, looking worriedly up at the ceiling. The house still shook, and he happened to glance back at the wall, and the ofuda.

The last of them were shriveled and blackening, much as Kagome's had. They turned to ash and fell to the floor, revealing the lump underneath them. It was the brass headpiece of a Buddhist monk's staff, very like the one Miroku carried. And it was sunk nearly flush into the plaster of the wall. _The seal,_ Inuyasha thought. "Shit," he breathed.

Up to that point Kagome had managed to hold on to Michiko, who had been struggling weakly and ineffectually. Suddenly the girl seemed freshly possessed and tore herself out of Kagome's grip.

"Inuyasha, stop her!" Kagome yelled, unnecessarily, as he was already moving to intercept. But she somehow astonishingly evaded his grasp, moving with inhuman speed to the wall, and the headpiece. Upon reaching it, she fastened her hands on its rings and yanked. Above them, the ceiling cracked threateningly, the fissure running swiftly down the wall towards the seal. Inuyasha hesitated, torn between stopping the girl and grabbing Kagome if the ceiling fell.

"Michiko, NO!" Kagome yelled. "Maybe I can seal it again somehow—" She whipped out her bow and an arrow, preparing to shoot the wall. Around them rose an angry hiss. Before she could draw, the bow was knocked from her hands by a rain of plaster and wood that whipped around the room in a sudden, violent maelstrom of debris, and she cried out. Inuyasha swore and pushed her down to cover her with his body, but not before she was struck hard on the head and arms by some of the wreckage. Kagome seemed dazed, scrabbling weakly for her bow.

"Damn _bitch!"_ he raged to the room at large. "I'm sending you to fucking _hell!_"

"_You're too late, **dog**. I'm just returning from there, and I've no mind to go back!"_ a voice laughed, coming from everywhere and nowhere.

The crack widened as it ran down the wall; he could only watch through the swirling destruction as it reached the seal. With a grunt, Michiko pulled the headpiece out and fell to the floor with it. At the same time the wall shook, and then split—the wind howled in from outside. And the demon appeared, seeming to step forward languidly out of the remains of the wall. Black kimono, white face like a mask, she looked unreal, almost like a puppet. She ignored Michiko, now sitting bemused on the floor to one side, and focused on Inuyasha. With a cold smile on her blood-red lips, she gestured, but he was already moving.

He evaded the fox-woman's blast of power, Kagome firmly in his grip, and scooped up Michiko as he feinted to the side and burst through the back door. He hadn't got far outside the shaking house, looking desperately for a safe place to set them down, when he was caught by another blast. It struck his left shoulder, weakening that arm and forcing him to drop the younger girl as pain seared him. Kagome cried out, releasing her hold on him. "Inuyasha!" she gasped, staring at his shoulder in the faint light of the stars. He could smell burned flesh, and he grimaced.

'It's nothing, wench! Take the girl and run!" He faced the opening, mostly dark inside now—all the lights were extinguished but for a fire smoldering somewhere. The white face was the only thing visible, that and her glowing hands as she gathered force for another blast. He held Tessaiga, beginning to swirl with power for a Kaze no Kizu. His shoulder and arm throbbed, and he flexed them weakly. _Damn it, that fucking left arm is going to slow me down,_ he thought. Behind him, he could hear Kagome dragging the girl up and limping with her towards the trees, away from the conflict.

It seemed that the youkai had different ideas. Her smile widened, and with one hand gestured. The whole wall on this side of the manor shuddered and tore away from the structure, hovering in the air. He braced himself warily. The youkai made a flinging motion with her arm, and the wall followed. It sailed through the air, but not towards him—it was headed directly for Kagome and Michiko.

"NO!" Inuyasha screamed hoarsely, and swung Tessaiga wildly, ignoring his original target. Kaze no Kizu blasted the flying wall to pieces, but too late—too much of the debris fell on the girls in a deadly rain. He could hear their screams, cut off abruptly.

"KAGOME!" A red haze seemed to blanket his vision. He was already running for the destruction, his thoughts incoherent, when he was struck again, a glancing blow in the back this time, and fell.

"Did you forget me, little mongrel?" whispered a silky voice. Hard upon that voice was a whipping line of power, which struck him across the shoulders, the pain blinding in the earlier wound. With a hiss he was up, and swung his sword to block the next of the writhing whips—there were a number of them waving around the body of the smirking demon.

"You'll fucking wish I had," he snarled. "KAZE NO KIZU!"

Her eyes widened with surprise. She tried to dodge but was blasted back into the shell of the house. It was already crumbling due to one of its walls being gone, but the additional impact delivered a death blow. The roof caved in and collapsed on the youkai, leaving fragments of the walls framing a pile of rubble.

It was still for a brief moment. But the rubble trembled and shifted, and then burst upwards. A very large and enraged golden fox flew upwards from the pile, shedding debris furiously. _Her true form,_ he realized. Nine tails waved in agitation, and she hovered, her eyes fixed on him—and then the remains of the wall near the trees. A malicious grin revealed many needle-like teeth. Inuyasha concentrated, and his sword began to take on a crystalline glint.

She was just a hair quicker off the mark than he was. She flung a bolt of energy at the pile of wreckage at the tree line just before he screamed "KONGOSOUHA!" and swung Tessaiga with all his might.

The fox tried to evade, but again she had seemed to underestimate him. She could not avoid being struck by the edge of the fusillade of diamond spears. She screamed in fury and pain as the spears struck her, her body transfixed by some, others tearing her side and some nearly severing a hind leg, the wounds sending blood fountaining out over the ruins of the manor.

Inuyasha had barely noticed the partial success of his attack. His despairing eyes had tracked the course of the energy blast, and he was astounded to see it repelled by a barrier that had sprung up around the far pile of rubble. _She's alive_, he thought, shaking with relief. With renewed heart he took aim again at his opponent.

But the fox had had enough, apparently. She was keening in pain as she knocked out the bloody spears that bristled from her underside, and began rising up and over the manor, until she hit a heretofore unseen barrier. The dome flared to visibility, different from Kagome's. _The old man,_ Inuyasha thought. He grinned, ferally. _Like spearing fish in a barrel, now._

With a grunt of effort he swung Tessaiga, sending another salvo of diamond needles straight at the youkai, but she was faster this time. She hissed angrily as she dodged his blast completely, even though constrained by the limits of the barrier. The demon aimed a desultory blast at him, more to keep him running than in earnest, and struck a massive blow at the containing field. Two blows. And it shuddered and collapsed, popping like a soap bubble.

She rose higher now, still screeching, and aimed herself at a target at the front of the manor. _Inbe!_ He launched a desperate diamond spear barrage once again, hoping to hit her this time. But as she stooped, out of his sight on the other side of the ruins, a huge ruckus arose—like a screeching flock of birds had risen and were attacking, as a matter of fact. He leaped to the top of one of the remaining walls, to see her form diminishing quickly to the southeast, surrounded by swooping and diving adversaries. _What the hell?_ Whatever they were, they looked like they were driving her away. Soon she and they were out of sight.

Satisfied that she was gone for now, Inuyasha wasted no time in running to where he last saw the girls. Most of the scraps of wood and plaster had fallen along the edge of the woods, where the remains of the ditch had been. There was no sign of a barrier now. "KAGOME!" he yelled, flinging aside debris as he dug down. "Answer me, dammit!" He could smell her—and he heard an answering croak, somewhere underneath. They _were_ in the ditch, he realized. His quick-witted Kagome had managed to throw herself and the girl down into it before the wall landed on them. He flung aside a large chunk of wall, to see her blinking up at him. She had thrown herself on top of the younger girl and shielded her with her own body. The chunk had lodged across the sides of the ditch and sheltered them from the rest. He felt almost lightheaded with relief—she was alive and awake. He grabbed her up and held her close, burying his nose in her hair. "Are you alright?" he demanded breathlessly, even as he inventoried her smell. Cuts and bruises, yes, but her scent spoke of relief as great as his.

"We're okay, Inuyasha—but what about you? Your shoulder—" and she pushed away from him to look at it worriedly. He didn't have to look to know that the burned flesh was already knitting itself together.

"Told you it was nothing." He embraced her again, tightly. "You fucking scared me, Kagome," he mumbled.

She laughed a little, her voice trembling. "Nothing to worry about. Did you see my barrier?"

He pulled away to look her in the eyes. "Yeah. That was good." He allowed a small smile; he was proud of her, dammit. Her answering smile faded as she looked down at Michiko, still curled at the bottom of the ditch. The girl's eyes stared at nothing. "What's with her?" he asked, frowning.

"We need to get her to a doctor or something. She's cold and shivering, and won't speak." Kagome reached down and shook the girl gently, but she didn't move. Inuyasha motioned her aside, and picked Michiko up. They climbed out of the remaining wreckage, and headed towards the ruins of the manor house.

They shortly met with Inbe, Yasei, and Mrs. Shibutoi, who hurried toward them around the side of the house. Inbe looked exhausted, and was being supported by the young kitsune, who gave them a surprisingly respectful, wide-eyed look. Inuyasha set the girl down under an ancient plum tree that had somehow managed to avoid destruction; she remained curled in a fetal position, completely unresponsive.

Mrs. Shibutoi knelt, cradling Michiko's head in her lap; the woman was crying. "Why won't she speak?" she asked, in anger and fear. "Not again! What's wrong with her?"

"It could be shock, I suppose," said Inbe tiredly. "Kagome, what do you think?"

Kagome seemed surprised to be asked. "I'm not sure, Inbe-ojiisan," she said hesitantly. "She was possessed again, you know."

"Have you tried what you did at the hospital?" he asked. Despite his weariness, he mustered a small, encouraging smile, that of a teacher for a bright pupil.

"Oh!" Kagome blinked, and moved to sit down next to Mrs. Shibutoi, who glanced at her uncertainly.

"One thing, Kagome," said Inbe, as she was reaching for the girl's hand. "If you continue, you will have treated this girl twice for her possession by the same creature. I've heard of some practitioners sensitive enough to form a sympathetic connection with the possessing demon. You had a connection with Michiko herself, which was very interesting."

"Wait." Inuyasha frowned. "Would that be dangerous to Kagome?"

Inbe glanced at him. "I doubt that she would be possessed herself, if that's what you're asking. She's very strong-willed." His lips twitched. "As you may have noticed."

Inuyasha snorted at that, and Kagome colored slightly. Inbe continued, "The benefit to such a connection would be that you might be able to track the youkai, or tell where it is."

Kagome hesitated. "When I saw her at the hospital, there were lines…a connection…that went off to the north."

"Exactly so," Inbe nodded. "See if you can follow any such connection now."

"Be careful, Kagome," Inuyasha muttered.

Kagome inhaled, and then took the girl's hand and closed her eyes. Almost immediately a bright glow surrounded her and Michiko; Inuyasha could see angry red lines appearing from the girl's hands, leading off to the southeast, and clenched his fists while watching her anxiously. Kagome frowned in concentration. The brightness of the lines intensified, and began to change, fading from red to pink. They suddenly snapped and broke from around the girl, and were gone. Michiko frowned, scrunching her face up before opening her eyes.

She saw Kagome, smiling down at her, and her mother crying. "Mother?" she whispered.

Kagome got up, beaming, and brushed garden soil off her legs as Mrs. Shibutoi embraced her daughter with low voiced assurances. Inbe had found a seat on a stone step leading from the remains of the house. "Very good, Kagome," he exhaled with a tired smile. "Do you notice anything?" Yasei, who had been watching, wandered off to poke curiously through the rubble.

"I'm not sure," she said. "It seemed to go off that way—you saw, didn't you?—but then it cut off. I don't sense her anywhere now." She moved to sit down next to Inbe on the step.

"Then don't get too comfortable," Inuyasha grumbled. "We need to chase that fox down and finish her off. I can still track her by scent." He fidgeted impatiently. They were losing time, sitting here like this.

Inbe looked up at him. "Currently the rest of us don't have a way to 'chase her down,' Inuyasha. The car is wrecked and we're exhausted." He sighed. "We will have to find her as soon as possible; she's obviously too dangerous to be allowed to wander freely. Hopefully you did her enough damage that all she'll do for now is hide, and lick her wounds." He gave Inuyasha a sharp, penetrating look, and then shook his head. "A nine-tailed kitsune. Amazing."

"Master!" came an excited call from the ruins. Yasei popped his head out. "There's a kitsune door here, still active!"

"Don't open it, Yasei!" the old priest warned instantly. "You don't know what's behind it!"

Inuyasha shouldered his way past the young kitsune, looking around interestedly. "Where is it? If the bitch has friends, they can tell us where she went," he remarked, cracking his knuckles. He recognized the small amount of clear space—it was the room where the youkai had been sealed. By some chance remnants of the wall still stood, split by the large crack. He poked at it idly with Tessaiga.

"Watch out," warned Yasei, giving him a wary look. "You might do something to the door. There's something funny about it."

Kagome had clambered in after them, peering at the wall, and now pointed excitedly. "I see it! The outline of the door!" She frowned, confused. "Part of the wall is missing, but the door is still there. How can that be?"

Yasei frowned at her. "Didn't Hanae-san explain this to you?" but then shook his head and went on. "There doesn't have to be a wall, but it helps mark the place, see. A kitsune could build one to hang in the air, but he might lose it that way."

"Ooh." Kagome looked impressed. Inuyasha squinted, but still did not see anything. He snorted.

"You sure you're not just imagining shit, Kagome?" he said, sneering at the kitsune.

"It's there," Yasei said defensively. "In fact, I think it's half open."

"Then open it the rest of the way," said Inuyasha. He brought Tessaiga up to guard position, very deliberately. "If anything pops out, I'll get it, eh?" he smirked.

Yasei appeared to be stung. "Fine," he snapped. He flourished a hand in a quick gesture, and jumped back. "Have fun."

Inuyasha saw the outline now; it shimmered briefly, and then a square, inky hole appeared against the wall. He gripped Tessaiga, but then almost dropped it at the scent that reached him. A small figure fell forward out of the hole, to land at his feet.

"Ow," Shippou groaned.

TBC


	18. Chapter 18

Disclaimer: Inuyasha and associated characters are the property of Rumiko Takahashi.

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**Chapter 18**

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The door opened suddenly, and Shippou couldn't suppress a yelp as he fell forward— he was still sore, and the floor was hard. But the scents that greeted him shocked him into breathless silence. _Kagome._ "Shippou-chan?" he heard her whisper. "How can you be _here_?" He looked up at her, astonished, and it _was_ her, Kagome, her eyes huge in amazement as she gazed down at him. And there was Inuyasha, staring down at him like a big dumb ox, Tessaiga dangling from his hand. Above them was a cold, starry sky; the manor was demolished, and there was no sign of Soen or the monks. A young guy stood to one side gawking, a kitsune— definitely not Soen, his scent was unfamiliar— but Shippou barely spared him a glance.

"Kagome? _Inuyasha!_" He was scooped up and hugged hard by Kagome, who was crying. He couldn't prevent the tears that pricked his own eyes, but at this point he didn't care. It was a miracle that they were _here_, seemingly in answer to his wish, and he clung to her in relief and joy.

"What—" Kagome pulled back to get a good look at him. "Shippou, how— you're hurt! What happened to you?" He was startled to see that she was cut and bruised herself, her clothes disheveled. Inuyasha also smelled of blood; unbelievably, he had a smile on his face as he stared at the two of them. The smile vanished when he saw Shippou looking, and turned away with a grunt, sheathing Tessaiga.

"Good to see you again, runt," he said over his shoulder, his voice a little rougher than usual. "See?" he told the other kitsune, who blinked bemusedly. "Nothing popped out that we couldn't handle."

"Wait, is this the one you were looking for at the shrine?" the kitsune asked. He glanced from Inuyasha to Shippou. "I thought you said…" He trailed off, staring in speculation.

"About time you guys got here," Shippou said, scrubbing at his face. They'd better get down to business, there might not be much time. "Wait till Miroku and Sango see you—or are they here already? Listen, there's big trouble. There's this nutty kitsune who's out to kill a bunch of people, we've got to stop her."

He looked up to see that their faces had abruptly clouded over. "What?" Suddenly their wounded condition made sense—having seen her in action, she might be able to give even Kagome and Inuyasha trouble. "Did you run into her?" _Or did somebody else? _Fearfully, he asked, "Are Miroku and Sango okay? Where are they?"

"Shippou-chan," Kagome began, and then glanced at Inuyasha, who frowned back at her. "They're not here. Let's go sit down. We have to talk." She started in the direction of the back of the house, and then hesitated. "I don't know if I should let them see Shippou," she said to Inuyasha and the stranger, who nodded.

"Too many explanations," the other kitsune agreed. "I'll see if I can get them moved somewhere. They're not gonna want to stay here, that's for sure. I'll be back." He jumped nimbly over some debris and was gone, and Shippou heard him talking to someone back there.

Kagome was standing indecisively, still holding him. "Who's over there, Kagome?" Shippou whispered loudly.

She smiled down at him. "Some people you don't know," she murmured. "And it's probably best that a couple of them don't see another kitsune tonight."

"And they won't," Inuyasha said briskly, moving in front of them. "Get on. No sense in standing around in this mess, can't see a thing in here." They got on his back, and quickly he leaped with them to the top of one of the roof's support posts, somehow still standing upright; he balanced delicately for a moment, glanced over at the humans below, and then sprang silently to a tree on the edge of the clearing. Inuyasha did not let them off on the branch he stood on, but watched and waited. From their vantage, Shippou could see three humans, an old man and two women, being shepherded by the young kitsune around the edge of the ruin towards the front. Past the mound of debris, he saw what was left of the courtyard, and beyond it, the slope of the mountain, and strangely bright lights in the valley below. Even before considering that, Shippou was struck by an inconsistency.

The wall was gone; so was the gate. That could be easily explained, but the bailey, from what he was able to see in the dim light, appeared to be overgrown with weeds and small scrub. He rubbed his eyes. Was it an illusion of some kind? Or was this the reality, and the manor's earlier appearance the illusion?

Shippou suddenly felt very tired. He was warm, held between Kagome and Inuyasha as he was; and he felt safe, as he hadn't felt in weeks. He was surrounded by the comforting mixed scent of the two of them, and his eyes drooped. He could relax, let them take the lead.

He had nearly dozed off and was caught by surprise when Inuyasha suddenly moved, and he hastily grabbed for a better hold. Jumping from the tree, down to the ground at the back of the house, Inuyasha set them both down near the remains of the back porch, and stripped off his haori.

"Here, Kagome. It's cold," he said brusquely, draping it closely around her shoulders. Kagome smiled gratefully at him, and for a moment the two of them only seemed aware of each other. Shippou cocked his head. Did his hands linger on her arms just a little longer than normal? Did she lean a little into the gesture? He grinned inwardly. Things must have been happening over there.

"Where do you think Yasei's taking them?" Kagome asked. She sat down on a stone step, and gestured to Shippou to jump up on her lap. She puffed a laugh when he did so. "Shippou-chan, you've gotten so heavy!" She put her arms around him when he settled, and he leaned back against her with a happy sigh.

"Dunno. Down to the village?" Inuyasha shrugged. He was staring off into the trees, frowning. "We should get out of here too, Kagome," he said pointedly, turning back to her. "We don't have to wait for them."

She frowned too. "To go chase after that youkai?"

"No, to get you home. And the runt too." Inuyasha looked a little edgy. "Don't tell me you want to hang around here."

"I wanted to make sure Michiko and her mother are all right, and that Inbe-ojiisan and Yasei have their own way back to Tokyo before we go." She looked back up at Inuyasha. "Can we wait a little, and see what they're going to do?"

"Fine, wench. Let's stay here all fucking night," the hanyou griped. "I'll get a fire going so you don't freeze to death." He stalked off, muttering under his breath.

"Who were those people, Kagome?" Shippou asked, tipping his face up to look at her.

She stroked his hair absently, her fingers stopping to pick at strands still caked with blood and dirt. "The old man is Inbe-ojiisan, a priest. He came here to help us. The girl is Michiko, the older lady is her mother Shibutoi-san."

"Help with what?" Shippou peered at her. "And what about the other guy? Who's he?" He narrowed his eyes. "Where are Miroku and Sango?"

"We told you. They're not here." Inuyasha appeared with an armload of firewood that he set down near them, and a smoldering piece of wood from somewhere in the wreckage. He set about building a fire, avoiding Shippou's eye. "They're—"

"Er, Shippou-chan," Kagome flapped her hand in some sort of quelling gesture at Inuyasha. "Let's hear your story first," she said firmly, quashing his incipient protest and questions. "How did you end up _here_?"

"And what's the deal with that crazy bitch who was stuck in there with you?" Inuyasha grumbled. "You manage to find the most fucked up females, runt."

"That's not true!" he said hotly. "Most of them are normal!"

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "Like this one?"

Shippou deflated. "Well, this time, I guess I wasn't such a good judge of character. She fooled me good." Resigned, he told them of meeting her in the woods, thinking that she was an orphan, just like him. Of spending time with her, gaining her trust, or so he thought. Her story and how she eventually asked him to help her avenge her family.

"Up until we came up here, I thought she was okay, Kagome," Shippou said sadly. "But then she saw the people here and went nuts. Hit me too when I tried to stop her, and knocked me out."

"How did you end up in the wall?" Inuyasha asked, glowering at him.

"After I woke up, I saw that she—she had killed everybody in the house," he said, looking down, "and I thought maybe I could see where she was going next, to warn them. She wanted to wipe out a whole clan, and everybody connected to them, like even the Emperor!" He drew a breath. "So I found her in the house, and it was like she was back to normal, but not. And then that Ungai showed up. Remember him?"

"The monk?" Kagome said, frowning in remembrance.

"Yeah. I don't know what he was doing around here, but he came up from the village. He and those other monks that travel with him surrounded the house, and I couldn't get out. She shoved me in that little closet and closed me in, to protect me I think, and something happened outside of it—I heard her yell, and I got knocked out. Next thing I know the door opened and you were out there." He looked up at Kagome, his throat closing. "I thought I would never see you two again." Kagome murmured something low and comforting and hugged him close. He sighed in contentment. "But now you're back, and everything's going to be okay," he mumbled.

He felt Kagome stiffen slightly, and he pulled back to look up at her. She seemed upset, and he saw her look again at Inuyasha, who was poking at the fire, stony-faced. "Kagome, what's going on?" he demanded, gripping her arms and giving them a little shake. "Tell me!"

"Shippou-chan." Kagome gathered herself, stroking his hair again. "The well is still broken. _We_ haven't gone back."

He digested that for a moment. "Huh?"

"You were sealed," Inuyasha said, shortly. Now he turned, and looked Shippou in the eye. "Like me. But instead of fifty years, it's been about five hundred for you."

"Sealed? For five hundred years?" It didn't make any sense. He'd just been knocked out for a little while. Sure, the manor had collapsed while he was out cold, but Inuyasha could have done that instantly, easily. But where were the monks? The bodies? Where was that pervasive smell of blood that had hung over everything? It smelled old here, old and dry and overgrown. And there were odd, acrid scents on the wind.

"Where are we, then?" he whispered.

"It's not so much a _where_, Shippou-chan," Kagome said. "It's a _when._"

His face must have reflected his bewilderment. "You're on Kagome's side of the well, Shippou. Miroku and Sango are on the other side." Inuyasha looked away again.

That made more sense, but still he struggled to understand. "You mean, I'm in your land now, Kagome?" Despite his confusion, he was charmed by the idea, and grinned.

"You could say that," she smiled, but it seemed a little forced. She shivered, and leaned closer to the fire. "We're far away from my house, though. It's a bit different at home."

"Oh." Maybe that would explain why it was so…so much the same, here. He'd expected Kagome's home to be much more exotic. "But Inuyasha could cover it pretty quick?" He looked over at the hanyou.

Inuyasha snorted. "Damn straight." He moodily poked the fire again, prodding it into blazing up higher. "So, runt. What else do you know about this bitch? Where's she likely to run off to?"

"She had a den in the woods, between here and the village," Shippou said doubtfully. "But I don't know if it's the same in Kagome's land."

Kagome glanced at Inuyasha. "Most of that forest is gone. It would be hard to find any landmarks."

"So who cares about landmarks?" Inuyasha grunted. "I can follow a scent trail, if it doesn't get too cold." He flicked her an exasperated glance.

"We'll see what Yasei says when he gets back," she said calmly. "Shippou-chan, you said she wanted to wipe out a whole clan. Do you know which one?"

"Minamoto," he replied, and saw her eyebrows lift in surprise. "There's some papers in that closet thing. Let me go get 'em." He jumped down off her lap and scrambled over and through the wreckage, until he got to the wall, and the domain, still standing open. The papers were scattered across the floor of the small space, and he noticed as he gathered them that some were now brittle; pieces flaked off as he touched them. He carried them carefully back to the porch, and sat down next to Kagome. She picked up a couple of the papers and scanned them in the light of the fire. Inuyasha picked up a scroll and did the same.

Kagome peered at the paper. "This is somebody's genealogy…they claim to be related to the Ashikaga, and through them to the Minamoto."

"Same here," said Inuyasha.

"Trouble is," Kagome said, putting the sheets down, "I don't think there is a Minamoto clan any more. I'm sure there are descendants, but she's not going to find them all gathered together in a Kyoto stronghold or anything." Her lips twisted in a wry grin. "She might have some trouble finding a lot of things, since she was sealed all that time too, Shippou-chan."

"But is there still an Emperor?" Shippou asked. "She might go after _him_."

Kagome looked over at Inuyasha. "What if she does? He's in Tokyo."

"So?" Inuyasha flipped the scroll he was holding to the porch, and sat on the ground by the fire. "He's got guards and shit, don't he?"

Kagome bit her lip, looking worried. "I don't know if his guards would be able to take on _that_ youkai. She seemed really strong. What was her name, Shippou?"

"Soen," he supplied.

She shook her head. "Never heard of her."

"Me neither," said Inuyasha. "She's probably just some trash," he said dismissively.

"I think," said a dry voice, coming from around the corner of the ruins, "that if a nine-tailed kitsune is stalking the Emperor, we ought to be concerned." The old man limped into view, using a stick for support. There was no sign of the other kitsune.

_Nine tails?_ he wondered. Soen hadn't had that many…had she?

The man stared intently at Shippou as he approached, eyes narrowed, and Shippou stared back uncertainly, clinging to Kagome's sleeve. His late experience with the monks had reminded him that caution was sometimes called for with the priestly types.

Then the old man smiled, his face gentling, as he stopped a few feet away. "You _are_ just a little one, aren't you?" Kagome smiled up at the priest without reservation, and Inuyasha barely spared him a glance. Shippou relaxed.

"Inbe-ojiisan, this is our friend Shippou. The one we came to the shrine asking about." She glanced over at Shippou. "We didn't know what happened after the well closed, so we asked at the Inari shrine, where there are a lot of kitsune, hoping one of them might have known about you. Inbe-ojiisan is the priest there."

"I am pleased to meet you, Shippou," the old man said. Kagome got up from the stone step.

"Please take this seat, Inbe-ojiisan," she said, waving him to the stepping stone. She sat next to Inuyasha on the ground by the fire. Inbe made a token protest, but Kagome had snuggled into Inuyasha's side for warmth and was clearly comfortable, and Inuyasha made no complaints, so the priest let himself be persuaded.

The old man took the seat next to Shippou with a relieved sigh. Shippou noted that his robes smelled like sweat and smoke, but underlying that were trace scents of many foxes. It was somehow comforting. "So, I take it that this is quite some distance from your usual haunts, Kagome. How is it that your young friend came to be here?" He smiled at Shippou.

"It looks like he was hanging out with some bad company." She looked a little sad, and he suddenly felt guilty. Why _had_ he run off like that?

"Yeah, you hit the jackpot this time, runt," Inuyasha needled. Shippou's guilt vanished at the gibe, and he bristled. If that big jerk hadn't disappeared with Kagome, he probably wouldn't even have wandered off to meet Soen. Shippou might have taken umbrage at the comment, but the sight of Inuyasha, sitting there with his arm around Kagome, made him grin, his ire melting away. _Wish Miroku was here to see this,_ he thought. _It took him years, but the moron must have finally made a move! The lech would be so proud!_

"What the hell are you laughing at?" Inuyasha glared at him, eyes narrowed.

"Nothing," he chortled.

"Inuyasha, Shippou, a nine-tailed kitsune is nothing to laugh about," Inbe said, missing the byplay. "For example, I'm sure you must have heard the legends of Tamamo no Mae. She left a trail of thousands of deaths behind her before she was destroyed."

"Thousands?" Kagome said blankly.

Inbe nodded. "Nine-tails are very old and very powerful, and usually very intelligent to reach that level of power." He sighed. "Yasei will contact the shrine for help. He took the ladies down the hill to the village, where hopefully one of Michiko's friends will put them up for the night. They should be down there by now."

"That hill looked pretty steep," said Inuyasha dubiously. "You sure those women can make it down a hillside in the dark without landing on their heads?"

"They started out well, and Yasei will do what he can to assist. Shibutoi-san was very, er, insistent about going," Inbe smiled. "He said he will phone the shrine from there, since his cell isn't working here in the mountains." Kagome nodded, seeming to understand the last sentence; it made no sense to Shippou. "Time is of the essence," he continued. "We need as much help as we can get to stop this creature before she does more damage."

"Shippou-chan," Kagome said, "can you tell Inbe-ojiisan what you just told us, about this kitsune?"

Shippou obligingly repeated his tale. Kagome picked up where he left off, and told what happened when they went into the house and Soen had become unsealed; Inuyasha finished with some terse comments about what happened after Kagome had gotten the girl out. Shippou was sure there was more to it than what the hanyou said, from his tension and the way he held Kagome closer as he spoke. Inbe was an attentive listener, and shook his head at the end of the recitation.

"It's a pity, that one so old could have been so damaged. Her rage has surely transformed her into an oni, a truly evil demon."

Inuyasha's ear flicked. "It's a pity that the bitch ain't dead yet. Hey, punk!" he roared over his shoulder. "What did you find out?"

On cue, the other kitsune trotted around the corner. "Who are _you_ calling a punk?" he snorted. He had some paper cups and a large thermos, familiar to Shippou from the one Kagome used to bring through the well. "I brought some tea, and one of the old ladies down there gave me some rice balls."

Kagome, Inbe and Shippou brightened at the mention of food. Kagome got up to help pour the tea, steaming hot, and distribute the cups, and forced one on Inuyasha despite his initial objection that he didn't want any.

The kitsune handed Shippou a large rice ball with a wink. "Here ya go, little guy. We haven't met. I'm Yasei."

"Shippou," he answered before taking a huge mouthful. He was so hungry—he hadn't eaten since he had that fried tofu with Soen, back before all this started.

With everyone occupied with the tea and rice, Yasei squatted on his haunches by the fire, and looked up at the old priest. "Shibutoi-san and her daughter are settled at one of the houses for the night, though Shibutoi-san herself is already burning up the phone line."

"Who's she calling?" Kagome asked.

"Her husband, her lawyer, the doctor—there's more, but those are the principals." Yasei smirked briefly. "I think they're both gonna be okay. I also called the shrine, and they're mobilizing. A car should be here in an hour or so, and some other help a little sooner."

Shippou saw Inuyasha nudge Kagome, giving her a significant glare, but she just shrugged and continued listening, warming her hands with the cup of tea.

"Who are they sending?" Inbe inquired, his attention on his own cup.

"Just about everybody, sounds like," and here the kitsune sounded a little worried. "Hanae-san sure didn't like the story I told."

"Hmm." Inbe appeared to be thinking. "What was the reaction down in the village?"

"They weren't freaking out as much as I thought they'd be," Yasei said, thoughtfully. "One old lady was telling me they had a deal with someone, some protection on the mountain, so they weren't worried. She wouldn't say anything else, so no telling what that's about. But none of them would come up here. They knew all about the demon sealed in the old building."

"Protection?" Inbe considered this. "Interesting. I wonder if that would explain the creatures that drove off the nine-tail."

Inuyasha sat up straight. "That wasn't something you did?" he asked, his voice wary. He sniffed, and got up.

"No," said Inbe, his eyebrows raised. "What are you—"

"As a matter of fact, it was us," said a new voice, coming from above.

They all looked up. Perched on one of the remaining roof supports—the same one Inuyasha had used—was a strange figure. Swathed in robes that fluttered in the light breeze, it appeared to be a man, but how did he get up there? Shippou could see his face, oddly shadowed in the light reflected up from the fire. A long nose pointed down at them, and the glittering black eyes reminded him unpleasantly of the crows that had ringed the courtyard here, the last time he had seen it.

Kagome made a muffled exclamation. "The man on the road!" she gasped. The figure bent his head in acknowledgment. Suddenly there was the sound of flapping wings and harsh caws, and the sky filled with crows—and more than crows. There were larger figures, nearly man-sized, with crow heads and wings, but also holding weapons like pikes and swords. Some hovered, and others settled on perches in the rubble and in surrounding trees. All of them stared down at the little group by the fire.

Inuyasha had drawn Tessaiga and now held it threateningly. "Who the fuck are you and what do you want?" he snarled. Kagome got behind him, and Shippou ran to her. She looked nervously around them, with reason, Shippou noted uneasily—they were surrounded.

"Why," he replied, bowing with a small flourish, "we live here. Thank you for rectifying this small problem." The creature waved his arm over the destruction that was the manor. Then he leaned down, fixing them with his gaze. "Now, please get off our mountain."

.

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	19. Chapter 19

Disclaimer: Inuyasha and associated characters are the property of Rumiko Takahashi.

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**Chapter 19**

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_Where did THEY all come from? _Alarmed, Kagome retreated several steps until she pressed against Inuyasha's back, staring at the encircling bird-demons. Their spokesman, the strange traveler from the road, now towered over them from his perch, and although he was as expressionless as he had been when they encountered him before, she could not mistake his hostility this time. But what had they done to provoke it? Had they lingered too long on the mountain after all?

Behind her, Inuyasha growled an oath as he assessed the multitude of opponents, his eyes and ears flicking across the clear space around them, before going back to the dark shape flapping above.

Kagome wished for her bow, now broken and buried under rubble, and winced at her lack of preparedness. Maybe she should have heeded Inuyasha's demand that they leave. He had _known _something was out there, but she had been concerned about leaving Inbe behind…she should have listened, should have trusted his instincts…

"We'll get off your fucking mountain when we're good and ready, asshole!" Inuyasha yelled.

…should have spoken up first. She heaved a mental sigh.

She twisted around to face the creature, and she called up hopefully, "We'll be happy to leave, if you'll let us!"

Inuyasha snorted at that, but did not take his eyes off the glaring figure above. He snarled, "One more time, bastard, who the fuck are you, and what makes you the king of this pile of shit? Did you have some kind of deal with the bitch sealed here?"

The wind rose, whipping their hair around, to swirl and eddy around Tessaiga. He was clearly ready to destroy them all with a Kaze no Kizu if he didn't like the answer.

Kagome swallowed nervously as she stared out past the fire, now blazing up wildly from the wind. Shippou pressed against her leg, and Inbe and Yasei stood back-to back with them against the horde that surrounded them.

Yasei was tense, but Inbe actually seemed fascinated. "Tengu. Of course," he murmured, turning his head slightly so he could watch this or that fluttering demon above them. The priest's eyebrows were raised, his expression reflecting interest and a sort of scholarly excitement.

_Tengu? _she wondered, thinking back to a long-ago conversation around the campfire about different tribes of youkai. _They're some sort of crow demons, which makes sense. Sango said they're known as great fighters._ She eyed the weapons in the hands of the creatures around them. Swords and halberds glinted in the flickering firelight, pointed at them. The demons themselves were different from their leader. While he appeared human, albeit strange, they had crow heads, but gripped their weapons with humanoid hands and arms in addition to the black bird-wings that kept them aloft.

"Deal?" The strange figure of their spokesman cocked his head. "We had no deal with _her_. On the contrary. The villagers made a bargain with _us_ to protect them if the evil one should ever get out."

"Then you are the protectors on the mountain they spoke of?" Inbe asked, turning slightly to face the creature directly.

The tengu bowed slightly in answer. "Now I have a question for you, strangers." His black eyes glinted with cold suspicion. "You travel with one kitsune, I see, and you freed the other. What deal did _you_ have with the nine-tailed one?"

Kagome felt Shippou shrink back against her, while Yasei gasped, seemingly offended. Inuyasha inhaled in disbelief.

"Are you for real, asshole? _None!_ We came here to kill the bitch!" he roared, incensed.

The tengu seemed to ignore him, choosing instead to stare down his pointed nose at Shippou. "But the small one was _her_ companion, and was with her the night she was sealed. And they are both unsealed, and he is with _you_ now," he hissed. "Is he not?"

Shippou's face twisted with rage, and he leaped out in front of Inuyasha to face the tengu. "At least I _tried_ to stop her!" he snarled, tiny fangs bared. "I didn't see you guys until the next morning, and all you did was stare at me! Where were _you_ that night, 'protector of the mountain'? I didn't see you do much in the light of day, either!"

There was some fluttering and angry cawing among the assembled creatures, but the spokesman gestured for silence, staring down at Shippou. "Our patrols did not see or hear anything amiss that night, just as she arranged, kitsune. Everything appeared normal outside the walls, until the dawn," he said. "An illusion, I would suppose, that your folk are so good at."

Shippou spat, "Then at dawn you would have seen me lying in the courtyard, where she left me after smashing me into the wall!"

"Yes, lying in the courtyard. Several here did see you," he sneered. Two or three of the older crow youkai shifted, their postures reflecting animosity. "You could have been injured in the battle with the guards, for all we know, and left for dead. And then when you awoke, you went inside. To warn her that the monks were approaching, I imagine. Quite loyal of you."

"I DIDN'T warn her!" Shippou yelled in frustration. "That's how I got sealed too, stupid! I was trying to find out where she was going next, to stop her!"

Kagome took a deep breath. "Look," she said, stepping forward and raising her arms in a quelling gesture. "We're wasting time, and she's still out there. None of us are working with Soen, okay? We'll just be on our way, if it's all the same to you."

"You are a miko, human?" the spokesman asked, his assessing gaze now fixed on her.

"I am," she said evenly. She felt the pressure of the gathered youkai's attention as they all shifted their focus to her.

"And you vouch for the small one?" His gaze sharpened.

"Yes," she said firmly. She felt a flash of anger that anyone could ever suspect Shippou of being involved in anything like the horrible crime that had taken place here. "I would trust him with my life, and I have," she added heatedly.

He stared at her a minute longer, long enough for Inuyasha to bristle defensively, and then he looked away dismissively. "Very well. You may take him and go." Ignoring Inuyasha's sputter, the tengu turned to Yasei. "Then what of you, kitsune? You trespass here."

Yasei drew himself up angrily. "Trespass?" he hissed. Staring up at the creature, he began to shift, to the form of a large fox with reddish fur. Then he started to glow, Kagome was astonished to see, with a pure white light. A holy light. His voice grew in volume and resonance, and sounded utterly unlike the Yasei she had become accustomed to.

"I am a messenger of Inari-sama, on the business of the kami," he boomed. "Do you dare to interfere?"

Inuyasha frowned, and Shippou gaped. Inbe stood by calmly, his hands folded in front of him, but his eyes twinkled.

The tengu stared, unblinking. The god-touched glow reflected dully off black feathers, glinted in the eyes of the watching crow demons. Finally the spokesman sighed.

"We wish no quarrel with the kami. Be on your way, messenger. Your business awaits." A ripple of release flowed through the flock; they cawed and gabbled among themselves excitedly and some started to flutter off.

Inuyasha watched suspiciously, still gripping Tessaiga, as he tracked the movement of the dispersing youkai. Yasei had resumed his humanlike appearance, and had a small self-satisfied grin on his face. Inbe looked tolerantly amused, and had begun to slowly move away, toward the side of the wreckage and the way back to the road. Kagome let out a breath, and leaned down to touch Shippou's shoulder; he was still standing tensely, staring at the crows, and started at the contact. He looked up at her with a forced smile.

"Guess I told them, huh," he said weakly.

Kagome smiled back. "You sure did, Shippou-chan," she said encouragingly.

Inuyasha grunted. "Let's get going. We still have a crazy bitch to find."

She nodded, and she and the kit followed him as he eased back slowly, following the direction that Yasei and Inbe were taking. He was watching the youkai carefully, his sword still held at the ready, though the wind had died down now. With his other hand he held her arm, to guide her as they moved into the utter darkness away from the fire. As they picked their way back she glanced up; the tengu spokesman was still on his perch above, but was now ignoring them. His attention was instead on several crow-like tengu that approached, cawing and flapping heavily with seeming exertion. A few alighted nearby on wreckage of the house, but one swooped nearer its leader. Inuyasha tensed and pushed Kagome behind him as it flew uncomfortably close to them.

"Naikibo-sama!" it called breathlessly, hovering. "The kitsune has gone to ground!" This set off a spate of agitated cawing, but the leader merely cocked his head to follow the creature's gyrations. Inuyasha stopped, listening.

"Well?" the tengu said impassively.

The one who called was smaller than the rest—female, perhaps?—and, Kagome thought, seemed young. Even so, she carried a spear in a casual, practiced grip, like she knew quite well how to use it.

"We could not get the creature's door open," she gasped. "We have a watch set, so it will not escape."

"Like hell!" Inuyasha burst out. "While you're flitting around and babbling, that bitch is going to get away!"

The tengu leader peered down at them. "Are you still here, hanyou?" he asked flatly. The young tengu landed on a piece of the roof, and glanced from them to her leader with some confusion.

_The tengu don't seem to be bad, _Kagome thought. _If we can convince them to work with us, we might have a better chance to find and stop Soen before she does something terrible. _"Naikibo-sama," Kagome said, stepping forward, "we have some stake in this too. Can your people show us where the bolt-hole is? Maybe we can get it open."

"_You_ can't get it open," snorted Yasei, behind them, who had also paused to listen. "But _I_ can."

The tengu gave him a cool glance. "You would work against your own kind, kitsune?"

"She's no kin of mine," Yasei snapped.

Naikibo seemed to consider for a moment. He looked over at one of the older crows in attendance, an advisor, perhaps. "If the creature still offers a threat to us here, it will be dealt with." He paused. "If it has fled, then it is no longer our business. These," and he nodded negligently at Yasei and Inuyasha, "may pursue as they see fit. What do you think?"

"I agree," croaked the old tengu, giving the group on the ground a sharp glance.

The tengu leader then spoke to the young crow-girl. "Show them the way. We will follow soon."

"Naikibo-sama!" She bowed to him in acknowledgement, a sharp, jerky motion, and then gestured at them with her spear. "Follow, as well as you can." She flapped into the air.

"Wait!" Kagome cried out. "Inbe-ojiisan can't follow! Yasei, can you carry him all that way?"

Yasei looked dismayed; the answer, it seemed, was probably not. But Inbe merely smiled.

"I will head to the road, and wait for our friends from the shrine to pick me up. It won't be long, and I doubt I would be of much help if there is a fight," he said. He had picked up a flaming stick from the fire to light his way, and stood patiently.

Kagome hesitated. Leave him alone here, with all these youkai?

Inbe seemed to have no problem interpreting the doubt showing in her expression. "I will be fine, Kagome. The tengu will not harm me. Will you?" He glanced up at Naikibo, conversing with the grizzled crow-man perched nearby. The tengu seemed merely irritated.

"Go, priest. Unlike that fool in the temple I sent you to, _you_ have acquitted yourself well. Leave in peace." The tengu turned back to continue a low-voiced discussion, ignoring all of them.

The decision to go was made for Kagome when an impatient Inuyasha grabbed her and swept her and Shippou to his back. "No time, wench. Let's go!" Yasei nodded, and the three of them took off after the circling crow-girl.

…

…

…

The wind of their passage pulled at Kagome's hair, and ruffled Shippou's; Inuyasha had to maintain a good clip to keep up with the crow youkai flying above and ahead of them on the dark mountainside. It didn't seem that she was particularly looking for passable terrain for those she was leading, but Inuyasha was able to follow her without much trouble.

Unburdened, Yasei was almost able to match pace with the hanyou, though he lagged behind a bit, especially when Inuyasha had to leap ravines to follow the tengu. The kitsune caught up at one point when they were descending the long ridge of a mountain, breathing hard but steadily. The moon illuminated the vista beside them briefly; silver mountains marched off into the distance before sinking into darkness again when the moon went behind clouds.

She looked over at Yasei, now just a panting, vague shape in the darkness, from her secure grip on Inuyasha's back. "Are you alright, Yasei-kun?"

"'Course," he gasped, managing somehow to sound affronted in the middle of that exertion.

"Inuyasha can slow down if you need it," she said, poking the hanyou in the shoulder. He snorted, annoyed.

"If I slow down, I'll lose the birdbrain up there," he complained. A croak above indicated he'd been heard. Shortly Kagome felt a swoosh of air as the tengu stooped over them.

"I've been ordered to take you, and I won't lose you, groundlings," she said indignantly. "You have only to say if I go too fast," she sniffed.

Yasei seemed ready to speak up, if he could muster the breath to do so, but Inuyasha cut him off. "Too fast? You're too slow, twit! I'd like to get there sometime tonight, before she fucking gets away!"

Kagome felt, rather than saw, the offended glare of the tengu. Yasei made a muffled moan of despair, and the tengu swept up and ahead.

"Keep up then," she said curtly, her voice fading as she flapped vigorously away. Inuyasha only grinned as he loped after her, leaving Yasei in the dust.

"Inuyasha, that's mean," Kagome whispered reproachfully.

"Yeah," piped up Shippou. "Don't you need that guy to open the door?"

"You're a kitsune," huffed Inuyasha. "Why can't you do it?"

"I'm a kid!" the kit exclaimed. "I was only just learning to do that stuff!"

"Whatever, runt," he replied. "Don't worry, Kagome, I'll wait for the punk. I can track the featherhead up there if she gets too far ahead of us."

But she didn't outdistance them; they were going downhill now, for the most part, and Yasei was able to keep up tolerably well. Kagome could see a sprinkle of lights indicating houses, here and there on the mountainside. Down in a valley up ahead was the winding glare of a highway, illuminated by streetlamps and the headlights of cars, and more light beyond it. The tengu fluttered to a halt before they reached it, alighting in a tree, and seemed a bit winded herself.

"Rest a moment," she gasped, staring out at the highway ahead. It was hard to discern an expression on the bird-girl, but Kagome thought she looked a little worried.

"How far is it?" Kagome asked, sliding off Inuyasha's back when he stopped. Yasei stumbled to a halt just behind them, breathing hard, and Kagome glanced back at him sympathetically.

"Past yon road, and down the slope, not too far," the tengu replied. She peered down at the small group. "You won't have trouble with the road, will you?"

Inuyasha glanced over at it. "Nah. I can jump it." Kagome followed his glance and studied it briefly. It was a four lane road, winding its way up the mountains, a different highway than the one they had taken to Ome. Traffic was light at this point in the evening, but steady, much of it trucks. The down slope area beyond it was brightly illuminated, looking considerably more developed than the mountains had been.

Yasei raised a brow disdainfully. "It should be easy enough to _cross a street_," he drawled.

"If you can't, tell me, kitsune," the bird-girl snapped. "I can fly you over if I have to."

"Shit," Inuyasha growled, eyeing the tengu suspiciously. "You'll get run over. I'll take you, punk."

"I don't think we'll have a problem," said Kagome quickly, trying to defuse the tension between the three of them. "Tengu-san, we really appreciate your guidance. Thank you for leading us."

The bird-girl left off glaring at Inuyasha and Yasei long enough to give her a stiff nod.

"I'm Kagome, and this is Inuyasha, Yasei, and Shippou," she said, indicating each in turn. She smiled a bright, expectant smile up at the creature. "Who are you?"

"Akarui," the tengu said, rather grudgingly, then pointedly looked away. She shook herself, fluffing her feathers before slicking them back down, and then checked the weapons strapped to her back.

Yasei took the opportunity to finish catching his breath as he stared assessingly down at the highway. Shippou was staring at the highway too, but in fascination.

"Kagome, what are all those lights on the road? Are they youkai?"

"No, Shippou-chan. Those are, um, carriages that people are driving. They have lights on them…remember my flashlight? They go really fast, so we want to make sure everybody gets across safely."

The fox kit looked confused, but Inuyasha forestalled any comment he might have made. "You'll see 'em close up, Shippou, when we go over." He indicated his back to Kagome, clearly impatient to get going, and she obliged, collecting Shippou and getting on.

Akarui seemed similarly keen, poised to fly out of the tree above. "If you are ready, groundlings. Shall we go?"

Without pausing for an answer, she launched herself, rising to a respectful height before crossing over the highway. Kagome could see her vague figure land on some projection on the other side, waiting. Yasei and Inuyasha jogged forward, and Kagome felt her heart speed up as they approached the noise and rush, and clutched his shoulders. Shippou gaped as they got closer, and she kept a good grip on him, too.

Smoothly Inuyasha increased his pace, running directly for the speeding traffic. At the very edge he leaped and they were airborne—flying over the roar of trucks, smelling the choking exhaust just for an instant—and then they were landing smartly on the other side, sliding a bit on the gravel of the verge.

Cars and trucks hurtled past them, and she turned her head to look worriedly for Yasei. But there he was, dancing across nonchalantly, ignoring the blaring horns of startled drivers. Kagome gasped at a near miss, but then he skipped onto the verge beside them with a swagger in his step, and a grin for her expression.

"See? No problem," he smirked.

She sighed in relief, and Inuyasha rolled his eyes.

"Let's go, then," croaked Akarui urgently from her perch. "We're not far now."

Near them was an access road, currently deserted, which led off to a complex of warehouses, closed up for the night. Here, the tengu took some care to follow the streets, so as to better lead them through the maze of buildings. The ground still had some incline to it, but it was gentle; they seemed to be on the long slope down to the plains. The silent industrial district gave way to businesses, also closed and dark, and they then passed into a quiet residential area. Here Inuyasha sniffed, and quickened his pace, his expression intent.

At the far end of the grounds of a large school, a belt of trees bulked darkly against the dim haze of streetlights. The tengu was leading them straight to it, and Kagome could see other flapping wings silhouetted against the light. Then they were in the gloom under the trees, and she strained to see what they were clustered around while her eyes adjusted.

"This is where we followed the beast to," Akarui said shortly. "She flew here and disappeared into the ground. We could not find her after that."

"Look familiar at all, Shippou?" asked Inuyasha, letting them both down. "Stinks like her."

It was a jumble of rocks, somehow left alone when this section of the forest was mown down to make way for more housing. Several crow-people stood around it, weapons at the ready, while Akarui relayed the orders from their leader. Their little group approached warily.

Shippou twisted his head around to stare at the surroundings. "The rocks look right—but this was in the middle of the forest!"

"I see the door, right there," said Yasei judiciously, pointing.

The rocks formed a rough U-shape, the area he was pointing to being sheltered by the arms. Kagome squinted, and could see it—a dimly glowing oval outline.

"Shall I open it?" he asked, looking around.

"Kagome, you and the runt get behind that tree there," Inuyasha directed, and they hurried to comply.

Kagome strained to sense something, anything, but nothing came to her; surely if Soen was waiting to pounce out, she'd be able to detect youki? But the pile of rocks was simply there, inert and boring, save for the faint doorway. No thin thread of malevolent power lead to it. Could Soen have realized, and found a way to cover her tracks, now? If that was the case, how much of what they were seeing was illusion? The supposition chilled her, and she rubbed her arms against the goose bumps that rose.

Inuyasha held Tessaiga ready, the crows likewise pointed their weapons, and all watched as Yasei examined the door closely.

The kitsune lifted his head to look over to where Kagome and Shippou crouched behind the tree. "Hey Shippou, keep an eye on what I'm doing here. You can open the next one," he winked. With some bravado he touched the door but quickly jerked back.

They all tensed as part of the rock vanished, to reveal an even darker void within. Yasei had flattened himself against the side of one of the framing rocks, but stretched experimentally towards the doorway, sniffing.

"I think it's safe, guys. Nobody in here."

"As if I'd trust _your_ nose," Inuyasha grumbled, but he lowered Tessaiga slightly as he too sniffed the air, and then advanced on the door.

The crows followed him cautiously. Kagome watched, holding her breath, as first Yasei and Inuyasha, and then a couple of crow warriors disappeared into the hole. Several others, including Akarui, stayed outside watchfully.

"Can we go look, Kagome?" asked Shippou, his gaze fastened on the dark opening. "Soen never let me see what her place looked like."

_They don't seem to be having any trouble down there,_ Kagome thought; _and if they did find her, I don't think we'd be all that safe up here anyway. _She closed her eyes and concentrated, but again nothing, no hint of evil youki came to her."Sure, why not," she murmured, and the two of them advanced towards it. The crows moved aside for them with sideways glances.

Yasei had lit the interior with foxfire. The bluish glow revealed a short set of steps leading down to a small room, musty and plainly long abandoned. She could pick out the outlines of two other kitsune-doors against a back wall. Against the wall on the right were the remains of a futon, rotten with age. On the left wall was a dusty chest, with a similarly disintegrating kimono hanging out of it. A grimy mirror lay on top of the chest.

Shippou descended with eyes wide, and Kagome followed after him. Yasei was standing in front of the two doors at the back of the room, looking absorbed; Inuyasha, next to him, looked impatient. The two crows watched Yasei, but they seemed a bit nervous at being underground, their glances darting to the ceiling and back to the open doorway leading out.

"So where do those doors go?" Shippou asked, fetching up next to Yasei. The older fox looked down at him with a frown.

"That's the question, isn't it? They could be closets…which one is she hiding in, eh? Or they could be gateways to other places."

"What do you mean, gateways?" growled Inuyasha. "You mean to tell me she's getting away while we fucking stand around here?"

"Yup," Yasei said. "She's probably long gone." The crows stared at him suspiciously. "Those doors _could_ lead to a network of other doors, if she's as smart as I think she may be. She's likely miles away, if not on the other side of the country." He shrugged. "Or it may lead to just another den somewhere."

Inuyasha stared hard at him for a moment. "Kagome, Shippou—_out_. And stay out," he ordered. He glanced at the crow-men. "You guys, do what you want, but that bitch might come roaring out of there, so look sharp."

The tengu nodded, and planted their feet grimly, weapons at the ready. Kagome and Shippou scrambled up the stairs and out, and then turned to peer back in.

"Which one did you want to open first?" asked Yasei, still staring consideringly at the doors.

"Does it matter?" growled Inuyasha, gripping Tessaiga in a guard position.

"Not really," he muttered, and taking a deep breath, touched the door on the left. It opened onto a softly lit, quiet green space.

_A city park?_ Kagome thought, staring at the soft haze of electric lights coming through. "Any sign of her?" she called from the entrance to the den.

Inuyasha and Yasei had advanced cautiously to the doorway, going to far as to slightly poke their noses out. Inuyasha sniffed.

"I think she's been this way," he said grimly. "But she doesn't seem to have stuck around."

Kagome came down the stairs, to peer out the doorway, despite Inuyasha's disapproving grunt. When Yasei took a tentative step out onto the soft grass just past the edge, she followed, Inuyasha at her side and trying to nudge her behind him. Shippou bumped at her heels as she stopped one step from the door and quickly surveyed their surroundings. Where was this place? It definitely seemed to be a park of some kind; the grass was mown short, and not far away she could see gravel walkways, well maintained. Other than the lights around the periphery, it was dim, and silent.

She was gradually becoming aware of something prickling at the edge of her senses, some _wrongness_, but she could not see or hear anything disturbing the stillness here. Inuyasha, at her side, was frowning. None of them moved away from the door.

Her appraisal took in the high wall around the expansive green space they were in; interrupting the wall was an imposing covered gate, which was closed and locked for the night. Behind her, the doorway hung in the air—evidently it had once opened from a building long gone. She looked up and over it, and gasped. The others whirled to stare in the same direction.

"That's the Imperial Palace," she said, pointing to the huge and beautiful building behind them, beyond the floating doorway. "The _old_ Imperial Palace. Guys, we're in Kyoto."

TBC

* * *

A/N: Sorry for the long wait. I've got a good chunk of the next chapter written, so it shouldn't take too long next time. And now I have help! Many thanks to SoutasSister for her beta work, advice and general awesomeness!! 


	20. Chapter 20

Disclaimer: Inuyasha and associated characters are the property of Rumiko Takahashi.

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**Chapter 20**

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"Kyoto?" Inuyasha looked curiously at the enormous building, the largest one visible in what was apparently a whole compound; it towered over a pair of entrance gates. The paths led to the gates, and a graveled courtyard beyond. He swept his gaze around to the sides of the parklike area. The high walls blocked the view beyond. "You sure?"

"I was here on a school trip once," Kagome said. She glanced back at him. "Definitely Kyoto."

"Huh. Your guess must've been right then, runt," he mused. "The crazy bitch probably thinks either the Minamoto clan, the Emperor, or both are here, and she's after them."

"Well, is she ever going to be disappointed—" began Kagome, but she was abruptly shushed by Yasei, who was looking around, alarmed.

"She could be around, you know," he said in a low voice. "Illusions and all that. I wouldn't say anything about that where she might possibly hear."

Kagome pressed her lips shut, her eyes wide as they darted back to the palace. Shippou looked around, a bit fearfully. Nothing came to Inuyasha's ears but the muted sounds of traffic and some distant sirens. The air held an acrid tinge; so did Tokyo's, but should the smell be so caustic here in the middle of this green area? A trace of Soen's scent was present, but fading. Had she gone to the palace, found it empty, and went off somewhere else? He itched to give chase.

"If she's still near here, I don't smell it," he remarked. "And I've been able to so far. _You_ might be fooled," he baited the kitsune, who frowned in irritation.

"I can't believe she was able to maintain a portal in the middle of Kyoto, let alone right beside the Imperial Palace," Yasei muttered. "The whole city was under a lot of protection in the old days. She was damned lucky she wasn't discovered." He glanced at the others. "I think we should go back and check the other door," he said uneasily. "What if she went through here, but then went back and through the other one?"

_And could come back to the den and shut this door at any minute_, Inuyasha thought; the opening was guarded on that side only by a couple of tengu, who weren't reliable anyway. _That_ put his hackles up; he certainly didn't want them all to be stranded in Kyoto, or worse. He remained deeply suspicious of these kitsune 'doors'.

"Come on, then," he said, taking Kagome's arm and hurrying her back to the opening hanging in the air.

They stepped through, to find the den empty. The tengu had evidently gone up outside, and were gabbling with their buddies out there. Inuyasha climbed out warily to see what was going on, but the crows merely glanced at him and kept talking. Nothing but gossip, apparently. Akarui came forward, however, looking curious, her eyes bright.

"One of the portals goes to the old capital?" she asked, cocking her head questioningly.

"Yes," answered Kagome, poking her head out from the stairs. "And we _really_ need to find out where the other one goes," she said, glancing at him. The crow-girl dipped her head briefly and went back to her companions, chirping something.

"Right." Inuyasha looked back down into the hole, feeling on edge while that damn thing was open. Yasei was still down there, studying the other door and hopefully guarding the first, the dumb shit. "You two," he indicated Kagome and Shippou, "get up here, and get behind cover, same as before, but _stay_ this time. We'll check it out." Kagome climbed out willingly enough, but Shippou paused at the top.

"Can't I try opening the other door?" he asked suddenly, staring down into the den. "I'll never know if I can do it if I don't get a chance to try."

"What if your pal is on the other side, huh?" Inuyasha frowned down at the kit. "It's too dangerous."

"He can try," said Yasei, from the bottom of the hole. "He's got a point. And I don't actually think she used this other portal, by the way. I don't think it's been opened in a long time."

"Make up your fucking mind," Inuyasha said testily. "And if you two think now's a good time for kitsune lessons, great. Whatever. Just don't screw it up or get us killed."

With great excitement, Shippou bounced down the steps to land in front of the door, Inuyasha following. Pointedly, he pulled out Tessaiga again and then leaned against the wall to watch. Yasei smiled down at the younger kitsune.

"Try closing the first one. Better that it not be standing open while we're checking out the second portal."

Inuyasha kept an eye on the view of cool and green Kyoto, while Yasei coached the kit in front of the open door. All clear so far. Shippou closed his eyes and waved a small hand, and the door abruptly became solid wall.

"Good! Now, the opposite on this one…"

He hesitantly touched the door on the right. Instantly, light and noise poured through the small room, blinding them all. Yasei and Shippou stumbled back, and Inuyasha leaped forward in front of them.

"What the fuck?" Inuyasha swore, squinting into the glare.

"What is it?" Kagome called, startled. She was scrambling down to see before he could tell her to get back. She jumped down to the bottom, her eyes trained on the opening, and what she saw made her gasp. "Oh!"

"You recognize it?" said Yasei, jerking his gaze to her after staring wildly through the door. It was a busy city street, as seen from a sidewalk; the light was from the headlights of closely passing cars as well as the streetlights and traffic lights on a nearby corner. Inuyasha said nothing, but looked grim. He recognized it too.

"It's Tokyo," she said. "Not too far from my house." She hugged herself abruptly. "Ooh, that's creepy. Why so near the shrine?"

From his position flattened against the side wall, Shippou looked doubtfully at the chaos just through the doorway. "If _that's_ near the village, it might be that Soen was keeping tabs on us," he said slowly. "She was really pissed when she found out the Jewel was destroyed, Kagome."

"Brr. That's even worse. I'd rather not know who else was after the Jewel." Kagome turned to Inuyasha. "Well? Do you think she went through this way?"

"I'm pretty sure she didn't," he replied, and he saw Yasei nodding in confirmation. "No scent. Well, this is a lucky break," he said briskly. "You and the runt can go home where it's safe."

"Your house is really through there, Kagome?" Shippou asked, his eyes wide as he took in the flashing lights and the noise. He sneezed at the exhaust fumes coming in through the open portal.

Kagome looked like she wanted to argue, but softened when she glanced down at Shippou. "I _would_ like to take him home," she said. "But don't you go off without me, Inuyasha. Just let me grab a bow and I'll come back with you."

"Whatever," Inuyasha mumbled. He had no intention of bringing her back here. The crazy kitsune bitch was too dangerous, and this was the perfect opportunity to get Kagome somewhere safe for once.

He turned to Yasei. "Can you hold this open for a bit?" he asked.

"Sure," the kitsune replied. "Don't take too long."

Inuyasha gathered them up and stepped through the door; he looked around to orient himself. There were not many pedestrians to gawk at them, not at this time of the evening, but there was plenty of street traffic. He knew exactly where they were in relation to the Higurashi shrine. He wondered, though, where had Soen been spying on them from, back in the old world? It was hard to tell where the old boundaries were from here in Tokyo. Had this gateway been hidden at the edge of the village, and nobody had noticed? That definitely grated on him.

Making sure of his grip on Kagome, and hers on Shippou, he sped the short distance to the corner and around it, and then several blocks towards the shrine entrance. He bounced up the familiar steps and paused at the top to let them down. "Recognize anything now, brat?" he asked gruffly.

The kit had brightened at the sight of the shrine, but when he turned around, he gaped at the glittering lights of Tokyo rolled out in front of him. "Wow." For once, it seemed that the runt had nothing more to say.

"Let me get you inside, and introduce you to my family, Shippou-chan," said Kagome, smiling. She turned and was leading the kit towards her house, and thus didn't notice when Inuyasha silently sped back down the stairs to the street, and back to the kitsune door. He thought he might have heard her call his name once, but didn't stop. She'd be safer here, her and the runt, and he could make sure that nine-tailed menace never threatened anyone again.

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…

Inuyasha had Yasei close the opening to Tokyo as soon as he got through, ignoring his sardonic expression. They both glanced at the wall where the door leading to Kyoto had been, then at each other.

"Okay, what's the plan?" Yasei asked.

The hanyou shrugged. "Go back to Kyoto, find the bitch and kill her."

Yasei rolled his eyes. "Oh, _great_ plan. Why don't I just kill _myself_ and save her the trouble?"

"You got a better one, punk?"

"Well, no. But I think that we ought to line up some backup." He looked up and out of the entranceway, where they could hear the tengu gabbling to each other. "You know, like the reinforcements coming from the Inari shrine? Maybe the crows would like to help, you never know."

Inuyasha snorted at that last. "You heard that tengu guy, they could care less as long as she goes away. And I don't need backup, least of all a bunch of foxes. I can take her."

Yasei gave him a curious look. "Why are you so hot to chase after her? Your girl is safe; you should go home too. Soen is _our_ problem."

"Soen is _my_ prey. Get in line, kitsune," Inuyasha gritted out. The damn bitch had tried to kill Kagome, had hurt the runt—she was going to pay for that. Plus she was just too fucking dangerous to be running around loose, and she might even figure out that Tokyo was where the Emperor was. The last thing he wanted was an insane, powerful youkai rampaging through his territory.

He waved Tessaiga irritably at the spot where the door had been. "No more stalling, moron. Get that damn door open, and if you want to wait for backup like a fucking wimp, be my guest."

"You're lining up a suicide mission, and _I'm_ the moron?" Yasei snorted. "You're just going to have to wait, tough guy." Flashing a snotty grin, he flipped himself backwards up the steps and darted out the entrance to disappear outside.

"Dammit—!" Inuyasha angrily jabbed at the wall with the sword, but it did not magically open. He stomped up the stairs after the kitsune. "Open that fucking door right now, asshole—"

He halted at the top, struck by a wave of fox scent. Just arriving in front of the den was a couple dozen kitsune, armored and bearing some pretty businesslike weapons. The crows stood to one side; they gripped their weapons tightly as they huddled together in a wary mass and stared at the newcomers. At the head of the group was Hanae, the older fox-woman from the shrine, looking stern and even kind of impressive in a particularly ornate set of armor. She strode up, Yasei in tow, and gave Inuyasha a searching look.

"Backup, see?" Yasei smirked from slightly behind her.

"Yes, I suppose he could be useful," Hanae said absently. "Excuse us, please. Follow if you like." She swept past Inuyasha down the steps, and the other kitsune made to follow.

"Just a fucking minute!" Inuyasha stomped back down the steps on her heels. "You jerks can be MY backup. I go first, got it?"

"Indeed." Hanae turned from the back wall where the door was, to glance at Inuyasha, eyebrow raised, before looking at Yasei, who was climbing down into the den behind him, giving him as much space as the small den allowed. "Which one, Yasei?"

"Left, Hanae-san."

Hanae flicked her fingers at the wall, and stepped back, waving Inuyasha forward to the now open door. "After you, then," she smiled sweetly.

Inuyasha shot her a suspicious scowl before turning his attention to the view of Kyoto. But he tensed at the sight now revealed. "Shit!"

The grass outside the doorway was blackened as if burned. It led away in a wide trail that curved around towards the bulk of the Imperial Palace. Where not blackened, the remaining grass had turned brown and dead, and the trees were drooping, their leaves fallen. A poisonous yellow haze drifted slowly along the ground and over the wall.

Inuyasha lifted his arm and covered his nose with his sleeve. "Miasma," he growled. _Where the hell did it come from? This place was fine not that long ago._

Gripping Tessaiga, he sprang forward, getting some distance from the door before rolling around to face the door, and any possible threat behind it.

The front of the palace was ruined. It looked as though shouki had rained down on it, melting the tiles of the roof, where holes gaped. A view of the inside of the hall was revealed through a collapsed portion of the wall. The trail of destruction led straight through the gates, now flattened, to the ragged, yawning entrance.

The kitsune, emerging from the doorway much the same way he had, were grim. Yasei looked shocked and angry.

"She must have been covering it up when we opened the portal before," he muttered.

"I agree," murmured Hanae. "Judging from the damage, she must have come through at least half an hour ago. She could have moved off, and thus dropped the illusion."

"But I didn't feel any effects," Yasei said urgently. "And we had the kit, and that girl with us, they could be ill by now—"

Inuyasha had started moving cautiously away from them and toward the palace, where the trail of foulness led, but tensed as he heard that. He paused and looked back.

"The girl is a miko, and a strong one," Hanae said, turning to wave the line of kitsune fighters through the opening; from his viewpoint they seemed to be emerging from thin air—he could not see the den from behind the door. "She might have been purifying the air around her without even realizing it was fouled. I'm sure she's fine." The fox-woman gave a puzzled look back towards the opening. "Where is she, anyway?"

Inuyasha turned back to the palace, not bothering to listen to further conversation. Kagome should be fine—if she could shrug off Naraku's miasma, this thin stuff wouldn't be a problem. He felt a surge of relief that he could concentrate on finding the youkai without worrying about her safety this time. He was doubly glad by the time he reached the destroyed entrance to the building, and found the first body just inside.

The man's throat had been slashed out, and he lay twisted in a pool of blood. He wore a uniform, similar to the type that the city guards in Tokyo wore. Inuyasha tread silently past, every sense alert for signs of the youkai's presence.

She seemed to have made a circuit of this enormous hall, indiscriminately tearing at the walls in an insane rage. There certainly didn't seem to be any reason for the damage otherwise. The trail of devastation continued out the back of the hall, which had been torn out to reveal more buildings behind it. Near the hole ripped out of the wall, he found another dead man, wearing the same uniform. He had been eviscerated, and by the expression of agony on his face, it had been done, perhaps slowly, while he was still alive. Inuyasha stared grimly down at him for a moment, before warily continuing.

He paused before emerging outside, flattening himself against the inside wall while he surveyed the scents in the air. Miasma, of course; the smell of plaster, wood and tile, blood and shit and guts. Hanae and the punk and the other foxes, approaching. And the scent of Soen, enraged and frustrated and fresh, led to the next building.

He peered out, cautiously, but saw nothing moving, heard nothing out there. The trees in this courtyard, gray-graveled like the first, were blackened and leafless. The door to the next building was torn open as well. Behind him he heard the foxes come in, heard Yasei's gasp at finding the body by the front door.

Hanae came up quietly to his side, taking care to avoid being framed in the opening to the next building. Inuyasha noted the very good sword that she was holding in a very professional manner. The other kitsune followed her lead, Yasei bringing up the rear. It looked like they had left about half the contingent behind, hopefully to guard the portal.

"That building back there is the Emperor's living quarters, when he's here in Kyoto," she whispered to Inuyasha, edging around him for a peek around the edge of the opening. "Fortunately, I know he's not there at the moment."

A wave of scent was his only warning. He shoved Hanae back with a sweep of his arm, even as he brought Tessaiga to bear in front of him, and then they were plunged into darkness.

"Then if you know so much, traitor, then perhaps you can redeem yourself and tell me where he is?" The hissing voice was too familiar, and right in front of them. _How the hell did she manage to sneak up on us?_ he wondered angrily, even as he swung, and hit nothing.

Out of the darkness multiple whips of energy flickered just before they struck. He managed to block some, but several connected, and swatted him like a bug. Inuyasha skidded across the floor to the far corner before he could gain purchase and fling himself back. He could not see anything but deceptive flickers of foxfire in the darkness, and even the grunts and screams of battle seemed oddly muted, off from where they should have been. But he could smell Soen's heavy, rank scent like a beacon.

He thought furiously as he pounded back towards her—any of Tessaiga's special attacks would also hit the other kitsune. The only thing for it was a direct attack—

Closely monitoring her scent, he feinted towards the flashes of sight and sound that suggested a location further away. At the last minute he swerved, sweeping the great blade at her with a snarl. He felt it connect, and the next second he could see again—in time to watch Soen's giant fox form crash through the wall high up near the roof and disappear outside.

He spared a glance for Hanae and the others. Most of the kitsune were down; Hanae was up, bleeding heavily from a gash on her left shoulder, but already heading outside, following Soen's trajectory.

Inuyasha sped past her out the back opening, and looked up, just in time to see the enraged kitsune bearing down on them from the sky. All nine tails were streaming sparks behind her. Soen let out a wordless roar of fury, claws splayed for a blow against them.

He grinned, nastily. She was perfectly framed for a Kaze no Kizu.

He let it fly with a yell, and the attack thundered from the blade and tore into her. She shrieked and was flung back, but amazingly swung back to them almost immediately. This time she flew in an evasive pattern, feinted towards him—but then swept past, seizing Hanae in a clawed grip and swept back up.

"Fuck!" Inuyasha tried leaping desperately after them, but missed and began falling back to earth. He could see Hanae slashing at Soen with her sword in one hand, blasting her with foxfire with the other, and heard her cursing. He landed in the courtyard, keeping his eyes on the sky. Soen was hovering, seemingly unconcerned about attacks now that she had a hostage. Out of the corner of one eye he could see Yasei and several of the other kitsune stumble out of the building, their expressions horrified as they took in the scene above the courtyard.

Inuyasha saw the claws contract on the fox-woman's body, and heard her gasp as the sword was swatted out of her grip. Soen bared her teeth in a horrible grimace, leaning down into Hanae's face. Miasma steamed around her in a cloud.

"Where is '_Tokyo_'?" she hissed. "Where is the Minamoto scum fled to?"

Hanae panted for breath in the crushing grip, and then spit in Soen's face. With a scream of rage Soen threw her straight down towards the ground. Her obvious intent was to smash her against the courtyard. With a curse Inuyasha leaped into the fox-woman's path, catching her and taking the force of the blow, which drove both of them into the ground. He tried to roll out from under the now unconscious Hanae and out of the small crater they were in. There was not enough time. Above him saw Soen arrowing in for an attack.

Suddenly she was sideswiped by several blurring forms, and crashed to the ground. He got to his feet but could only stand by and watch the writhing ball of fox fur—there was no way to safely get a strike on her without hitting one of the other kitsune.

Abruptly the entire group rose into the air, the largest body, that of Soen, shedding her attackers with a negligent shake. All of them but one fell to earth. One of the kitsune fighters that had come with Hanae struggled in Soen's grip, and they rose swiftly.

Inuyasha swore. She was rising up out of range, but he couldn't swing at her while she had one of the foxes. He glanced over and saw Yasei among the kitsune that stumbled to their feet. The young fox hurried over and got down in the shallow pit with Hanae, where Inuyasha heard him calling her name.

"She okay?" he asked, keeping his eyes on the dwindling forms of the huge, nine-tailed kitsune, and the smaller one in her grasp. The sky here had the same odd glow as Tokyo from the ambient light of the city, and he could pick out their tiny forms even at this distance.

"She's cut up, but I think she'll be all right," Yasei said, but sounded worried. He started to say something else, but stopped at Inuyasha's sudden hiss.

There was something falling, something too small to be either Soen or the fox she had dragged up with her. Inuyasha tracked it until it fell, landing on the slanted roof of the palace hall, bounced several times and slid down off the eave to the ground.

It was a bloody arm, torn off from the shoulder. He looked up in time to see another fall, to land in the courtyard. The hand on this one still gripped a sword. A fine mist of blood was sprinkling down. Inuyasha wiped his face as he stared up to the sky, and a growl ripped from his throat as he saw Soen sweeping down, coming closer, and he stood defensively in front of the fallen Hanae.

Soen came only close enough to fling the torn, armless corpse of the kitsune fighter at them and fly up and away, in the direction of the kitsune portal. She was laughing.

"You can have this back," she called mockingly. "I have what I need now." And then she was out of sight over the building.

"Fucking hell! The door!" Inuyasha yelled, and leaped up onto the roof of the palace after her. He scrambled over the top and launched himself from the ridgepole, only to see her, way ahead of him now. She made directly for the kitsune door, knocking away the foxes guarding it like twigs, and disappeared. The outline of the space where it had been glowed briefly and then winked out.

"No, no, dammit NO!" he yelled as he skidded to a stop among the fallen foxes, who were shaking their heads as they rose. Inuyasha hauled one to his feet.

"You! Open that fucking door!" He spun the dazed kitsune around to face the spot where he guessed it had been. The fox focused on the area briefly, and then looked around, his face falling in confusion.

"It's gone," he mumbled.

Inuyasha stared at him incredulously, and then gave him a shake. "What the fuck do you mean, 'it's gone'?" Behind him he smelled Yasei and Hanae approaching, and he turned to see them limping up, Yasei supporting the older female. "Do something! She's fucking escaping, and this asshole can't find the door!"

The two kitsune shambled to a halt; Hanae stared at the space where the door had been, and then turned her head to give Inuyasha a tired look.

"He can't find the door because it's been destroyed, Inuyasha." She shook her head, tears in her eyes. "Poor Jurou. She must have got it out of him."

"You mean she's on her way to Tokyo by now," Inuyasha breathed. If Soen didn't know how to find the emperor in Tokyo, she knew someone who did. The scent trail from the other door would lead the murderous bitch straight to the shrine. Rage and fear flooded him, and he clenched his fists hard enough that his claws pierced his palms.

_Kagome._

TBC

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A/N: Thanks again to SoutasSister for her beta work! 


	21. Chapter 21

Disclaimer: Inuyasha and associated characters are the property of Rumiko Takahashi.

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**Chapter 21**

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"Let me get you inside, and introduce you to my family, Shippou-chan," said Kagome, smiling. The kit had recognized the shrine itself, but now was looking a little shell-shocked and tired as he took in all the additional outbuildings and changes to the property. Shippou was craning his head as he followed her, and not watching very closely where they were going as she shifted direction towards her house. She half turned to guide him, and suddenly realized that they were alone. Inuyasha had disappeared.

"Inuyasha?" she said uncertainly, glancing around the courtyard. She reached out with that other sense and tried to detect his youki—and it was racing away down the street, back to the kitsune door.

"INUYASHA!" she yelled, incensed now. "_I told you not to leave without me!"_Her voice echoed in the dim, empty courtyard, and there was no response. "Jerk!" she muttered, as she stared down at the street, hands on her hips. His youki abruptly disappeared from her 'radar.'

Shippou had stopped, and followed her gaze down the steps. "Well, Inuyasha never did say he would bring you back," he said mildly, and shrugged. "He said it was safe here. That's probably all the dummy could think about when he saw where the door went."

"He still shouldn't have dumped us here and ran," she said, annoyed. "Well, I can still go get another bow and some arrows, and we can go back to the door." She looked down at him thoughtfully. "If the door is closed, you can open it, right, Shippou-chan?"

"Of course!" he said, and then looked uncertain. "I think."

"Come on," she said, turning back to the house. "My mother and grandfather might still be up; you'll like them. Well, my mom, probably. And we can grab something to eat, too."

Shippou brightened. "Ninja food?"

"Maybe. I hope there's some _real_ food…maybe leftovers."

She led the way to the front door of the house; it was mostly dark, though the lights were on in the kitchen. She slid the door open and stepped inside, shedding her shoes in the entryway. "Tadaima!" she called softly when she opened the interior door.

From all the way back in the kitchen, she heard her mother's startled voice. "Kagome! Okaeri nasai!" A chair creaked and Kagome heard her slippers shifting on the floor.

Giving Shippou an encouraging grin, she crept through the hall towards the kitchen. They passed the living room; in it, Jii-chan was asleep in front of the television, snoring. The light flickered over his face, and the volume had been lowered to a buzzing whisper.

"What's that, Kagome?" asked Shippou, glancing at the shifting light from the television and the old man locked in its hypnotic grip.

"I'll explain later. That's my grandfather. Let's keep quiet and let him sleep," she whispered.

Mama met them at the door to the kitchen. "Kagome, dear, I'm glad you're home finally," she said softly. "I got a phone call from the Tokozawa Shrine that you were all right, but no details. Look at your clothes! _Are_ you all right? What happened to Michiko? And who's this?" She smiled warmly down at Shippou, who looked up at her with some uncertainty.

"I'm okay. It's all a long story, Michiko's going to be fine. I'll tell you later." Kagome knelt down to put a reassuring arm around the kit's tiny shoulders. "This is Shippou-chan, Mama. One of my friends from the feudal age. How he got here is another long story, but he's safe here now, with us. Shippou-chan, this is my mother."

Mama's eyes widened in astonishment, but she recovered herself and smiled in delight at the fox kit. She sat on her heels to look him in the eye. "Shippou-chan, welcome to our house! Please make yourself at home."

Shippou stammered a greeting, looked a little overwhelmed. Kagome gave him a little squeeze, and got up. "Is there anything left over from dinner, Mama? We both need to eat something, and I have to go back out."

"Certainly, dear. Where's Inuyasha?" Mama asked, looking past her down the darkened hall.

"Hmph. He dropped us off and went back." They walked into the kitchen, the air of which still held a ghostly hint of dinner. Kagome's stomach rumbled, and she cast her eyes longingly to the refrigerator. "There's still some trouble going on, which is why I'm not staying."

"Oh dear. Nothing serious, I hope," Mama frowned at Kagome, now seeing the extent of her tattered and bruised state in the better light. "Are you sure you're all right, Kagome? What's going on?"

Kagome sighed. "I'm tired, but I can't rest now. The demon that was possessing Michiko is loose, so we're trying to stop it before it does any more damage."

"Loose?" Mama had hastened to get out some containers of leftovers to warm up, but now paused and looked back at her. "What about the house you went to exorcise?"

"Uh, the house isn't cursed anymore," Kagome mumbled, reaching into the refrigerator for a couple of sodas. Shippou snorted at that as he scrutinized the stove, and then the table and chairs. "The loose demon is a much bigger problem, and we've got to find it."

"I imagine so. Well, let me warm something up for you," Mama said firmly, and turned back to her preparations. "Shippou-chan, do you like tofu?"

That got his wandering attention, and he responded with enthusiasm. Mama had surely noticed the tail, and must have remembered that he was a kitsune from the stories Kagome had brought home. He did like tofu, the preparation of which hadn't changed much in the last few hundred years, and ought to comfort him.

The strangeness of his surroundings had hardly seemed to faze him, or dissuade him from exploring them. Right now, he had hopped up on one of the chairs, examining some oddments on top of the table. "Hey Kagome, is this what I think it is?" he asked.

Kagome turned with the sodas and frowned, finally noticing the mess, very out of the ordinary in her mother's otherwise spotless kitchen. And a close analogue to perhaps the only thing Shippou might have seen, out of all the appliances and modernities in the room.

"A gun," she said in answer. "What's _that_ doing there?" she asked her mother.

The rifle they had found, the one that had belonged to her great-grandfather, was disassembled and its pieces arranged on newspaper covering most of the kitchen table. A small area had been cleared, where Mama had evidently been sitting and drinking some tea.

"One of Jii-chan's other shrine association friends came by while you were out, and took him off to the shooting range Inbe-san was talking about. Apparently the gun works perfectly." Mama glanced over at the rifle parts cluttering her table, lips pursed in disapproval. "I wish he had cleaned up that mess before sitting down to watch television." She had made quick work of warming up the leftovers in the microwave, and was deftly dishing them out into bowls.

Shippou leaned over and looked at the rifle stock curiously, not distracted even when Kagome set down one of the cans of soda in front of him. "It looks a lot like one of those Tanegashima things, but different," he commented. "Why is it taken apart like that?"

Mama handed him a pair of chopsticks and a steaming mixed bowl of tofu, rice, and vegetables, which did distract him. "Jii-chan took it apart to clean it. Again." She reached for another bowl with a sigh. "I hate to wake him up, but I don't want this to be on the table at breakfast tomorrow morning."

"I told you, I'll clean it up," came a grumpy voice from the hallway, just as Mama was handing Kagome a hot bowl of delicious-smelling leftovers. Jii-chan appeared in the doorway, heavy lidded and rubbing his face. "It will only take a minute to put back together— Kagome!" His face lit as he saw her, and then froze in consternation as he took in the sight of the small kitsune child sitting next to her at the table. Shippou was shoveling food into his mouth at speed even as he lifted his eyes to stare up at the newcomer. His tail plainly dangled over the edge of the chair.

"YOUKAI!" Jii-chan shouted, whipping out ofuda with astonishing swiftness for a barely-awake old man, and flung one at Shippou.

The kit had gaped for a split second, then acted, evidently taking the threat of Jii-chan at face value. With a sudden pop the kitchen was crowded with a multitude of Shippou look-alikes, each of them running in circles and clutching a bowl, with identical expressions of distress. "KAGOME!" they wailed over and over dissonantly. Mama covered her mouth in alarm, her eyes attempting to follow this or that Shippou as it darted around the room.

Kagome grimaced, setting down her bowl quickly and getting up. Jii-chan was staring and utterly befuddled by this kitsune trick, but before the old man could recover and add more to the chaos, she decided that she'd better straighten the whole mess out.

"A whole nest of them!" he gasped. "We're being overrun!" As he prepared to fling several ofuda, she grabbed his hand, and he focused on her in surprise.

"Jii-chan! Shippou-chan's my friend! Remember, I told you about him? You leave him alone!" She looked back over her shoulder, trying to figure out which was the real kit. The noise was giving her a headache. "Shippou-chan, can you turn those off? He won't hurt you."

"Is it okay, Kagome?" said one of the kits, a distrustful expression on his face. "He could still get me."

"He got you the first time, Shippou-chan, and it's not doing you any harm. Look at your tail." Indeed, there was an ofuda stuck to his tail, as the kit was dismayed to discover. He batted at it frantically until it fell off.

"But those are kitsune, Kagome!" Jii-chan pointed at first one, then another of the gradually diminishing number of Shippou duplicates in the room, and then gave up in frustration. "How do you know it's not a trick? How can it be a friend of yours from the other world?"

"This is definitely our friend—Inuyasha could tell you too," she said, looking down at the last, and real, Shippou. He was huddled against the back of her legs, staring up warily at the old priest, but did not protest when she picked him up and brought them face to face. "This is my grandfather, Shippou-chan. Jii-chan, please welcome him. He's going to stay with us too."

"_Another_ demon in my house!" Jii-chan glared at them both, but then softened slightly at Kagome's pleading expression, and perhaps also at the sight of the nervous child in her arms. "Oh, very well. What's one more?" he huffed, and stalked over to the table, and began assembling the pieces of the rifle. "He can't eat as much as that Inuyasha boy, anyway."

Mama gave them both a wink behind Jii-chan's back, and handed Kagome her bowl when she set the kit back down. Shippou had never let go of his, and proceeded to wolf down what was left.

Kagome sat down with the food, eating mechanically as she let her mind forge ahead now that the domestic crisis was settled. Once she had finished eating, she could go back to the kitsune door. Inuyasha should surely be able to handle Soen, but still, she'd feel better once she had a bow in her hand and was on her way back to stand with him. She was trying to think of a way to have Shippou open the kitsune door for her and yet stop him from following her, when her grandfather interrupted her thoughts. He got up with the rifle, now neatly reassembled.

"I thought I heard you say you were going back out, Kagome. You can take this, I'm sure it will be quite effective against wayward youkai," Jii-chan said with a proud smile.

"Um," Kagome stalled as she stared at the gun. "I don't know how to use that, Jii-chan. I really would rather use a bow. I was going to ask you if we had another one left."

Jii-chan looked puzzled. "What happened to the one you took with you?" For the first time he seemed to notice that she was bedraggled and dirty. "What happened to _you_, Kagome?"

She sighed and set the bowl down. "Round one. Michiko is no longer possessed, but the demon is out on the run, and we have to catch it. I lost the bow and the arrows, so I need another set."

He shook his head. "That was the last bow, Kagome. I can probably find some more arrows, but without a bow they won't be much good." He held out the rifle. "If you're going out, you should definitely take this. It worked well for my father," he added meaningfully. "Many a demon fell to this weapon."

When she paused uncertainly, he brought the rifle to his shoulder, pointing it at the wall. "Look. This is how you aim. The sight is here," he pointed, "you make sure the safety is off, here," and again he pointed, "and then you squeeze the trigger to fire." He put the rifle in her unresisting hands, slinging the strap over one shoulder. It was quite heavy. "I got you plenty of ammunition—you load the clip in here, and slide the bolt closed." He demonstrated with a clip of actual bullets, and made sure the safety was on, before stepping back with a satisfied smile. "There! All loaded and ready to go."

Kagome looked down at the rifle she was gingerly holding, and then back up at him. She didn't want anything to do with this thing. It felt dangerous just to be in the same room with a loaded gun, let alone having it in her hands! "Jii-chan, I think this is a bad idea."

"Nonsense." He stepped forward with a small canvas bag, and slung it over her other shoulder. "This is the ammunition. The rifle is very easy to use, and much more effective than arrows."

"But Jii-chan," she began, but he waved her off.

"You'll be fine, Kagome." He smiled again, then turned to Mama, who was looking very concerned at the sight of her daughter with such a dangerous item. "Is there any food left? The boy isn't here, so there should be some."

Mama turned with a sigh to spoon him up some of the leftovers, leaving a bemused Kagome to examine the gun again. Shippou sidled up, looking at it admiringly.

"I never got to see those Tanegashima guns up close. Is this one better, Kagome?" he asked, sniffing at it and then sneezing suddenly from the machine oil smell.

"I guess so. I don't know much about these, Shippou-chan. Don't touch it," she added warningly as he reached a curious hand to the barrel. "I don't want you to get hurt."

Shippou withdrew his hand as he looked at it thoughtfully. "If it doesn't work as well as a bow for you, Kagome, I can take a bow's shape—remember? You would just need some arrows."

She frowned at him. "But I wanted you to stay here where it's safe," she said. "Soen's dangerous."

He crossed his arms, and gave her a disdainful look. "I'm not staying here while you go off alone, especially when that moron went off without us." Shippou gave her a sly grin. "Besides, you need me to open the door."

"Shippou-chan—" she began, frustrated.

"_Who_ went off without you?" said an irritable voice. Kagome turned around gratefully, forgetting her earlier anger.

"Inuyasha! I'm so glad you came back!" she said, as he emerged from the dark of the hallway. His hands were folded in his sleeves as he paused, his face stony as he took in the scene in the kitchen. Mama beamed in relief when she saw him.

"Oh, good, Inuyasha. I'm so glad you're here. Are you hungry?" She hovered over what remained of the leftovers.

"No, I'm not hungry," he muttered, frowning at Mama. He turned to glower at Kagome. "Let's go. We need to go find that demon."

"Uh, all right." She slung the gun awkwardly over her shoulder, trying to avoid banging it into the bag with the ammunition. "Are we going back to Kyoto? If the door's closed, Shippou-chan says he can open it."

"Eh?" Jii-chan looked up from his bowl. "Kyoto?"

"I'm going with you anyways, Kagome," Shippou said with a rebellious glance up at Inuyasha, who glared at him.

"You're staying here, Shippou. It's safe here."

Something odd passed across Inuyasha's face as he said that, and Kagome began to look closer, puzzled, when her grandfather exclaimed, "You are absolutely not going to Kyoto, Kagome!"

"Huh?" She turned to look at Jii-chan. "It's not what you think. We've got a quick way to get there, Jii-chan—"

"You're not going." He frowned at her fiercely, eyebrows bristling. "There's some kind of terrorist attack going on there now! It's all over the news!"

"Terrorists?" she mumbled, suddenly feeling cold.

"I hope it's not those cultists again," Jii-chan grumbled. "Ridiculous. Attacking the Imperial Palace in the middle of the night—I suppose they're not content to just use poison gas in the subways. Now it's poison gas _and_ explosions!" He peered at her. "You are definitely not going there!"

"We're not going to Kyoto," snapped Inuyasha suddenly, with a sharp glance at Jii-chan. "Come on, Kagome. Shippou, you're staying." He turned and headed down the hallway towards the front door.

She stumbled after him, clumsy under the unfamiliar weight of the rifle, but detoured into the living room for a look at the muted television. She stopped and stared at the images, and the crawl of information across the bottom of the newscast. The footage was live, obviously taken from the air, and from the looks of it, from a very safe distance.

The Imperial Palace was horribly damaged. Parts of the roof were gone, as was whole sections of the walls. Spotlights from helicopters pitilessly illuminated the leafless, blackened trees, the damage to the other buildings in the complex, and there was damage to the buildings and grounds outside the walls of the complex, too. An obscuring haze of some kind drifted over the ground, and a wide shot revealed it had spread as far as the river.

"Oh, no," she whispered. The news alert flashing at the bottom of the screen advised that the area was being evacuated, and there was an unknown number of casualties.

Inuyasha appeared out of the dark of the hall, and paused in the opening to the living room. "Come on." He glanced at the television, his brows drawn, and then back to her. "Now, Kagome."

She nodded, numb, and followed him as he headed back to the front door. She waited until they were both outside before she burst out, "What_happened_? Did you get back over there, and she attacked?"

Inuyasha kept walking, heading for the front steps of the shrine. He glanced at her over his shoulder, his eyes in shadow. "Yes. And then she escaped back here. Only I was able to follow, but I couldn't catch her." He stopped at the head of the stairs, facing outwards. "She must have headed for the Emperor." He looked out at the vast city of Tokyo, from their vantage point a sprawling, glittering mass. "Tell me where he is, Kagome, and I'll follow her. You won't need to go, you can stay safe here. Just point me in the right direction."

Kagome held very still. Why would Inuyasha need _her_ to tell him where the Emperor was? He could track Soen by scent. And if Soen really was in Tokyo, would he even have stopped here, after making a point of leaving her somewhere safe?

Inuyasha had not touched her, so far. Had avoided touch, kept his hands in his sleeves. If he was in that much of a hurry, he would have grabbed her and dragged her out, or slung her to his back and gone off without such niceties as repeating himself that they had to go. She extended her senses to his youki.

It wasn't _his_ at all.

Kagome stepped back, slowly, keeping her eyes on the figure that stood there, waiting for an answer. It turned around to stare at her. Then that familiar face smiled, a very uncharacteristic smile. It was a little sad, a little tired.

"I would have left you alone, had you told me." The features blurred and thinned to that of a young girl. The white hair, the golden eyes, shifted and darkened to black, the red robes faded and changed to a kimono, delicately patterned with white cherry blossoms on a spring green background. "You protect Shippou. I had to see..." She stared toward the house, her expression unreadable, and then glanced back to Kagome. "I'm still willing to leave you, and your family, unharmed," and now she grinned, showing sharp white teeth, "provided you tell me where the Emperor is."

"So you can kill him?" Kagome asked. _Where is Inuyasha? Is he all right? _She struggled to keep calm. It was pointless to try to withdraw, so she stood her ground, facing the kitsune. Soen appeared to be only about thirteen or fourteen years old, so slight, so young. Not evil at all, unless you looked into the too-old, flat blackness of her eyes. What had happened to her, to make her this way? "The Emperor is a good person. He's never done anything to you. Or your family. Do you know how long ago all that happened?"

Soen merely stared at her with narrowed eyes. "It doesn't matter. I will have my blood revenged."

"It's been a _thousand years_, Soen," said Kagome gently. "The people who hurt you have been dead that long. The Minamoto are _gone_. They don't exist as a clan any more. Most of the old clans are gone. A lot can happen in that span of time."

"As long as there is an emperor, the bloodline exists," said Soen dismissively. "And I will have my vengeance. There is no other point to my existence, otherwise."

Was that a hint of weariness, there? Kagome pressed on. "But there can be, Soen. You could forget all this. Go live your life, start over. There isn't a point in pursuing revenge against the dead, when all you can do is kill the innocent."

"_There are no innocent!"_ Soen snarled, startling Kagome, who stepped back. In the blink of an eye, the kitsune had transformed from a petite girl to the taller form, clad in a formal black kimono, that she had appeared as in the hospital, and at the house. The difference now was the rage twisting the white face.

"I have no kin, and neither shall they have any descendants." She stepped closer to Kagome, the black eyes fixed on her. "Enough talk. Tell me where to find the Emperor, or this entire hill drowns in miasma, your family with it."

"And Shippou too?" Kagome asked harshly, fumbling the unfamiliar rifle around to point at Soen. The demon blinked, then narrowed her eyes again.

"I'll just start with you, then, and extract Shippou when you're dead. He should be with his own kind anyway. I'm sure your mother or grandfather, or perhaps that little boy upstairs, will be willing to tell me where the Emperor's quarters are." She grinned, again showing her teeth, as she brought her hands up, contemptuously ignoring the weapon in Kagome's hands.

"You leave her alone!" From out of nowhere Shippou appeared and barreled into Soen from the side, knocking her off balance. The older kitsune turned with an angry grunt and swung a backhanded blow at the kit, but missed. Shippou growled at her as he dodged, tiny fangs bared.

"Stay out of this, Shippou," Soen hissed. "I don't want to hurt you, but I'll knock you out if I have to."

"Some friend you are!" Shippou panted, furious. "What makes you any better than those Minamoto you go on about?"

Kagome had jumped back, and fumbled the safety off the rifle, praying she was doing it right.

"Shippou!" she yelled. "Get away from her!" She brought the heavy weapon to her shoulder, feeling awkward, and pointed it at Soen. Shippou scampered back to stand at Kagome's side, growling angrily.

Soen stared at him, her face blank, and then looked up to sneer at Kagome. "Those Tanegashima devices are useless against me, girl. Without your mongrel, you are nothing." She raised a hand and slashed it forward, a whip of power appearing as she did so. "Die."

Kagome flinched, but a dome of pure power sprung up at her will, covering both her and Shippou. The whip sparked against the barrier harmlessly. Soen stopped and considered it for a moment, then smiled.

"Well, since Shippou is safe with you, I guess I'll go get one of your family members to tell me all about the Emperor." Faster than Kagome would have thought possible, she darted around the barrier, and towards the house.

"_No!"_ Kagome screamed. _Not Mama! Not Jii-chan, not Souta! _She reached out instinctively and focused her will again. A second barrier, enormous, snapped into existence around the house, just as Soen reached it. _Please don't let them come out-- don't let them hear-- _ Then the kitsune crashed into it, and shrieked as the power burned her—Kagome saw the barrier spark and flare, but hold.

Soen backed away, hissing, and swiped at the barrier with claws extended, again and again. Kagome hardened her will. That monster was not getting to her family. She became conscious that her hands, gripping the gun, were white-knuckled. She had forgotten that she even had a weapon in her hand. Her focus had narrowed to maintaining the two shields.

Beside her, Shippou stared at Soen flailing at the barrier, and then glanced up at her. "Are you okay, Kagome?" he asked anxiously.

"So far," she answered, trying to maintain concentration. Sweat was trickling down the back of her neck, down between her shoulder blades. The blows were getting harder, and Soen was slowly transforming as she watched, into a large, golden fox. With a shriek the fox scrabbled at the barrier, then turned around to face her, panting. Then she charged, and was on top of them before Kagome could draw a single breath.

Soen slammed into the smaller dome with tremendous power, and it shuddered as Kagome reeled from the force of the impact. Soen rose into the sky, and dove down to strike at it again with a forepaw, and again the barrier weakened.

Kagome was scared. Scared for herself, scared for Shippou, cowering next to her, scared for her family. Scared for the city and the Emperor. Wherever Inuyasha was, it didn't look like he could help them this time, and she was scared for him too. Through her barrier she stared up at the mad creature that was preparing another pass, and realized she had one more chance to save them.

Straining to bring the rifle up, she pointed it at the fox bearing down on them. She held the thought of her great-grandfather, whose weapon this had been. "Please hit," she breathed, and squeezed the trigger.

The night exploded in light and noise. From her viewpoint, there was a blast of her own purifying energy right in front of her as it hit Soen. The gun kicked strongly against her shoulder; unprepared, she was knocked down, even as her eyes stayed locked on the result of her action.

"Kagome?" Shippou's voice sounded frightened, but she didn't spare him a look.

Soen lay twitching and scrabbling on the white gravel of the courtyard, half of her face and part of her neck and shoulder gone. Incredibly, she shoved herself to her feet, to wobble there and glare at Kagome with the one eye she had left.

"_How dare you."_ The words came bubbling and indistinct out of the ruin of her mouth. She staggered a step forward.

Kagome realized her barrier was down, and snapped it back up, feeling very unsteady herself. Scrambling to her feet, she raised the gun again, and pointed it at the youkai.

Soen snarled, and abruptly they were plunged into complete darkness. Kagome panicked, and fired the gun where she had last seen the kitsune. She was better prepared for the kick and the noise this time, and watched the trail of the bullet flare to life, as brightly as any arrow she had ever launched. In its wake, the inky darkness was dispelled, and again she could see the courtyard, the shrine, the house in the dim electric light. Shippou pressed against her, a fierce scowl on his face as he scanned the courtyard.

But Soen was gone.

TBC

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Many thanks once again to Soutassister for the beta! 

Glossary:

_tadaima_: "I'm home"

_okaeri nasai_: "Welcome home"

_Tanegashima_: matchlock rifles, named after the island where in 1543 Portuguese sailors introduced guns to Japan.


	22. Chapter 22

Disclaimer: Inuyasha and associated characters are the property of Rumiko Takahashi.

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**Chapter 22**

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Inuyasha stared, tensely frozen, at the spot where the door had been, but his thoughts were spinning at a frantic pace, his heart pounding in an agony of dread and fear. _Kagome--the shrine-- _

His first impulse was to start running, but the part of his mind not panicking swatted the impulse down. Even at his top speed it would take hours to run from Kyoto to Tokyo. He had minutes.

His eyes flicked to the kitsune surrounding him, and he focused on Hanae, who was looking over her bedraggled and beat-up troops, smelling of blood and not looking too good herself. Abruptly he was in front of her, and grabbed her by the shoulder straps of her armor, yanking her off her feet.

"I've got to get to Tokyo" he growled into her face. "Fix that fucking door._Now._"

She glared at him, her expression somewhat offended, but she remained still in his grasp and didn't struggle. "Let go of me," she hissed, teeth bared. The other kitsune reacted angrily; in unison they pointed their weapons at Inuyasha, growling. Yasei grabbed his arm, but Inuyasha shrugged it off.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" Yasei yipped. "Let go of Hanae-san! Now! There's no way to fix the door! It's gone!"

"Bullshit." He couldn't afford to believe it. He would _make_ it work, damn it...

"It's true, Inuyasha. The door that was here was taken down by its creator, Soen." Hanae looked him in the eye, her voice calm, even, and firm. He couldn't help but believe that she was telling the truth, and his breath froze in panic and despair. There had to be _something..._

He tightened his grip as an idea hit him. "Then build a new one," he snapped.

She stared back at him. "I could," she said in a measured voice. "But it would take all night. And I don't think we have that kind of time."

Despite himself, his shoulders slumped. "You'd better not be lying, bitch," he bit out, but her expression was serious and even sympathetic. Desperation began to rise, and once again he thought of running to Tokyo. What else could he do?

The _chop-chop-chop_ sound overhead broke into the frantic circling of his thoughts, and he looked up with a snarl at the interruption. It was one of those flying carts he had on occasion seen in the skies over Tokyo. The machine was circling, and a bright beam of light speared down from it, sweeping along the ground, searching. The kitsune around him reacted nervously as the beam came closer, crouching closer to the ground as they stared up at the thing.

"Damn it, we've got to clear out," Yasei swore. "That's not a police copter, that's military."

Hanae, seizing on Inuyasha's distraction, grabbed his fingers and peeled them off her armor in one quick twist. She stepped back, dusting herself off fastidiously. "Inuyasha, I realize that you have compelling reasons for wanting to go back to Tokyo. Believe me, we need to get home too. Soen is capable of causing great destruction and chaos," she said grimly. "But we can't do anything about the door that's gone. And I can't build a portal very quickly, or without some preparation."

Her eyes tracked the beam of light as it got closer; it was almost upon them. She gestured sharply to the others, and as one they abruptly turned into a clump of withered bushes. Hanae grabbed his wrist and she herself appeared to go invisible. No, not invisible; she had blended perfectly into the background of the park like a moth against tree bark, fading into the yellows and browns of the dead trees and grass. The light swept over them briefly, blindingly, and moved on without pausing.

He stared after the receding beam, puzzled. It didn't see him? Hanae gave his arm a little shake, and he looked back to her expectant face. _Oh_. It must have been her doing. Her coloration was slowly returning to normal as he watched.

"However, there are other doors in Kyoto we can use." She dropped his wrist and turned her head to watch the 'copter' circle back to the Palace, appearing satisfied that it was not coming back.

She had his full attention now. "Why didn't you say so before, bitch? Shit!"

Hanae merely smiled, mirthlessly. "I was going to suggest it, but you seemed more interested in the one that was destroyed."

_Every fucking minute counts, and she's playing games? _He glared angrily at her. "Then let's _go, _dammit!"

"We shall, the place I'm thinking of is not far. And there are probably more portals there than anywhere else in Japan. It is the oldest Inari shrine, after all." The other kitsune had transformed back; she motioned sharply to Yasei and to one of the other kitsune, and they stepped closer, each with a wary glance at the fuming hanyou. "Yasei, Jishou, get the rest of them to Fushimi Inari Shrine. It's going to be difficult with a large group, so I'll go ahead with Inuyasha here first."

"Are you sure, Hanae-san?" Jishou said, frowning. "It's going to be difficult to get out of here at all without drawing notice." All of them could hear activity all around them now; besides the copters, the sounds of a number of vehicles and shouted orders came from beyond the surrounding wall. The streets seemed to be crawling with men.

"I can cover for Inuyasha. We will have no problem getting out of the park. Neither will you, just be careful." Hanae seemed calm and confident. "Yasei, please call the shrine in Tokyo and let them know the current situation. Tell them to alert Ogin-sama," she added, her expression grim.

Yasei bowed, and dug into a pocket for his little talking machine. "Immediately, Hanae-san."

She began to turn to Inuyasha, but to his annoyance she swung back to the younger kitsune at a last thought. "And call those slugs at Fushimi again and let them know we're coming. Might as well make an attempt to cut through the red tape beforehand," she said, grimacing with distaste.

Sighing, she turned to him. "Inuyasha, I'm not going to be able to travel very fast—oh!" With a grunt of impatience Inuyasha had grabbed her and swung her to his back, settling her a little more carefully when he heard her hiss of pain.

"Which way?" he snapped.

She pointed. "South and east." Before she had finished he was running. "Take care we're not seen," she murmured as he approached the wall.

"No shit," he said. It was quite dark now, the unnatural streetlights appeared to have gone out. It was very quiet beyond the section of wall that he was heading toward; no undertone of engines here, no men's voices or boots on the road. Off in the distance he could hear more of those copters circling, but they seemed to be concentrating on the Imperial Palace complex. If he could head to the rooftops he'd be able to make fairly good time, even while having to keep to cover as much as possible.

"How far is this place we're headed?" he asked, navigating through the shadows under the dead trees.

"About ten kilometers."

"Ten what?" He peered over his shoulder at her irritably.

"Kilometers." She glanced down at him. "Or if you like, about two and a half ri."

"Should've said so in the first place," he snorted.

"You know," she said after a moment, "you should learn these things, boy. The world isn't going to go back to the old ways just for you."

"I know lots of things," he retorted.

"Sure." Her tone was sarcastic now. "Willful ignorance won't help you either."

"Whatever," he muttered. He leaped to the top of the wall, and paused to take a look.

The streets were deserted. They had headed away from where the plume of shouki had left visible signs of its passage; there was no overt damage to be seen here. Regardless, it seemed to have been evacuated. Inuyasha could not hear the usual sounds of occupation in the surrounding buildings—no voices, no mechanical sounds, not even the hum of electricity. The area was empty of people.

He glanced quickly up and down the street before making a move. No sign of soldiers, not a whiff of any human close by. He darted from the wall to the street, and across to the building opposite, then a jump up to the roof. A sudden flare of light behind them threw their shadows ahead sharply, and he paused again to look back.

The ruined Imperial Palace was now pitilessly illuminated with brilliant light from huge lamps, and swarming with people in odd suits that covered them head to toe. Men in unusual-looking vehicles were zooming up and down the roads that ran along the outside of the walls. They were going to have to keep moving, and quickly, to avoid notice.

"There's the river," said Hanae. She gestured over to the break in the streets that he could see a few blocks away, though he couldn't see the glint of water from this angle. "Follow it south, until the Biwako canal splits off. The canal goes all the way to the Shrine entrance."

"Right." He sped across the roof and leaped lightly for the next building, and then the next, trying to keep to the shadows as much as he could. Unfortunately the streetlights were working here and every corner and angle seemed to be illuminated. He settled for trying to stay on the side of the structures away from the glare emanating from the Imperial Palace.

He heard a yell. A split second later he felt the whine of projectiles whizzing by his head, and then heard a loud, echoing report. Something nicked one ear--it suddenly stung like fire.

Hanae gasped and hunched down, and he flipped over the edge of the roof, getting the building between them and their assailants. He hung from the eave for a moment, listening, and heard more shouts from farther away. He was vaguely conscious that the ear was bleeding; he could feel a warm trickle onto his scalp, but it was already drying as the wound closed. Multiple shots chattered against the roof above, raining shards of tiles over them. _Shit! Guns! How are they getting so many shots off at a time? _The Tanegashima guns he had seen on the other end of the well were not very effective—they had to be hand-loaded and fired one round at a time. Too slow, unlike the hell-things whining overhead. Either they had a fucking lot of guns, or even a single firearm was now a lot more dangerous.

"What the hell kind of weapon was that?" he demanded.

"Nothing I want to get hit by," she said shortly. "You wouldn't like getting hit again either, I promise you. Stay out of line of sight."

"It was over there!" a man shouted, closer. "On the roof!" Other voices responded, and Inuyasha dropped to the ground, running along fences, scuttling through alleys and slipping between parked cars. He maintained as much of straight line as he could manage for the river.

"I thought you could do something to hide us," he grumbled to Hanae, even as he strained his ears to triangulate where these men were, and staying out of sight. Going by rooftop was right out now, damn them.

"We're moving too fast. They can still see a blur when I make us blend with the background," Hanae gritted out. He could smell her nervous sweat, and the pain she was in every time he bounced or jostled her was evident in her spasming clutch on his shoulders. There was no help for it. It was going to be rougher going on the ground.

He ground his teeth in frustration as his pace suffered from dodging obstructions. _Damn it, too fucking slow! _He looked up wistfully at the clean lines of the rooftops above them. "Can't you make us look like something they won't shoot?"

She rasped out a short laugh. "Inuyasha, they're shooting at anything moving. We'd have to be invisible."

"Well?" He chanced darting across a wide street, and made it to the shadows at the back of some buildings.

"I'm good, but not that good," she snorted.

He eased through a narrow alley and peered out cautiously; they had arrived by the river now. Unfortunately it was as well lit as the streets, and mercilessly bare of cover along its wide banks; buildings stood mostly shoulder to shoulder alongside it. It was as deserted as the streets behind them. He clawed his way up one wall of the alley to perch on a darkened second floor balcony, and surveyed the possibilities.

"There's a bridge up ahead," he pointed out to her. There was also people on the other side of the river, now that there was a bit of distance from the goings on at the Palace. He could smell and faintly hear them, if not see them. Maybe if they crossed, it was less likely they'd be shot at.

"We need to get on that side anyway," she murmured. "I've got an idea." Reaching into some hidden pocket in her clothes, she brought out a tiny, crudely carved wooden figure of a fox, and held it out. "I'll throw this, and it should cause enough distraction that we can try crossing. I'll try to camouflage us as much as I can."

He stared at the unimpressive bit of wood in her hand. "What the hell are you talking about? Distracted by a fucking _toy_? That won't last two minutes."

She smiled. "You'll see. Get ready to run." He grumbled, but tensed anyway, mapping out the quickest way to the bridge that still offered some chance of cover. She gripped the figure briefly, and then tossed it to the alley behind them.

Skeptically he watched it tumble down, bounce twice, and then he stared as it glowed and blew up to many times its size into an enormous golden fox, unnervingly lifelike--not like Shippou's little playthings at all. It snarled once and took off running down the street, back towards the noise and glare. He glanced up over his shoulder at her incredulously.

"Might as well have them shoot at what looks like the right target," she grinned briefly. "Run."

He ran. Behind them he heard a shout go up, and the roar of a multitude of guns. He concentrated on the bridge up ahead, and poured on more speed._Kagome, I'm coming. Hold on._

The wind whistled past as they crossed the river; ahead he could see empty streets, but light and movement behind windows. If it was this clear of eyes to see, maybe he could stay along the bank. The sound of gunfire was receding, the echo still impossibly loud but definitely originating on the other side. There were some patches of cover, here and there, on this side; a small tree-lined area, an outdoor tavern, silent and dark. His feet kicked up smells of food and spilled beer, probably dropped in the panic of earlier this evening.

Up ahead and rapidly approaching, he could see the glint of a narrow canal paralleling the river eastward, squeezed between ranks of old wooden buildings standing huddled together on one side and a wide road on the other. He glanced up in question at the kitsune, and she nodded.

"Follow the canal. We're not far now." She pointed upward, over the buildings, to the dark bulk of a mountain ahead and to their left. "Fushimi Inari Shrine is up there, though the entrance isn't too far from the canal at the bottom of the slope."

As they sped closer, he could smell the fresher scent of cedar and pine forests, the occasional hint of moving water as opposed to the stagnant reek of the canal he followed. And he was also starting to smell foxes. A hell of a lot of them.

He didn't need her nudge to guide him to the shrine—there were signs everywhere, nor could he miss about a million red torii marking the entrance. This was the most elaborate shrine he'd ever seen.

And it was a powerful one. He hesitated at the feel of the holy aura that increased the closer they got, almost a physical force pushing gently against him. The only thing he could compare it to was Mount Hakurei. _Getting purified now would be pretty fucking inconvenient._

Hanae looked down at him quizzically as he slowed. "What's up?" she asked, scanning the entrance warily.

He gestured. "That's a real strong aura coming from there. I don't know how you foxes stand it, but it could be a little annoying for me."

"Oh." She relaxed, and waved him on. "Don't worry about that—I'll vouch for you. As long as you're with me, Inari-sama will let you pass unharmed."

He grunted. "I'm holding you to that. The kami keeps a close eye on what happens here, eh?"

"Here especially," she confirmed.

That might be, but that didn't mean that the god's minions would necessarily be friendly. The shrine was unlit, the darkness especially deep under the gates and could conceal an army of foxes. Not that kitsune were anything to worry about normally, but he was in a _hurry_. Judging from the scent now, there were a ton of them in the way, directly ahead. Hanae's attention was concentrated on the rows of guardian fox statues that they were approaching in the gloom. As at the other shrine, the first statues, at least, were not stone—they were living kitsune. There was a _lot _of them, rank after rank, but even they could not account for the huge cloud of fox scent that surrounded the place.

The first two didn't even bother to pretend as they drew near; they hopped down off their pedestals and assumed humanoid form, their stances aggressive, fists clenched as they blocked his progress.

"Who are you and what do you want here?" demanded the one on the left, a sleek, beefy male with small, dull eyes. He smelled of hair care products similar to the ones Kagome used.

"Put me down," Hanae murmured. He obliged, and she stepped in front of him. He crossed his arms and watched carefully at her shoulder.

To the bristling kitsune, she said calmly, "I am Hanae of the Tokozawa Shrine, Tokyo. This is an ally. We need to use the portal to get to the eastern capital, quickly. It's an emergency."

"So you say," growled the one on the right, a female, smaller, with a pinched, suspicious expression. "Prove yourself first, stranger."

Hanae sighed, "Of course." And then she...glowed. The light of purity coming off her matched that of Yasei, earlier in the evening; this close, it should have been burning him, but Inuyasha felt nothing at all. He squinted at the sudden brightness until his eyes could adjust. Apparently the other kitsune were having the same problem, because they shaded their eyes with their hands.

"Good enough," mumbled the male. He eyed Inuyasha, now, and regarded him warily. "But who's your 'ally,' there? We can't let just anybody use our portals, you know," he sniffed.

"You'll fucking well let _me_ use one, asshole," Inuyasha rumbled threateningly, and stepped forward. Hanae put a restraining hand on his arm.

"Wait, Inuyasha. Let me handle this—"

From some distance ahead in the line of guardian statues, someone gasped, and Inuyasha saw one of the kitsune figures running towards them. He came up behind the first two, transforming as he did into a thin, willowy form, dressed, as far as Inuyasha could tell, in old-fashioned court garb. Who the hell were these idiots?

"That white hair—who did you say it was?" He grabbed the first male's sleeve, as the dumbass was leaning forward aggressively, like he _wanted_ to get beat up.

Hanae's lips curved in a slow smile. "Well, Datesha-san. How nice to see you." She opened her hand and gracefully gestured to Inuyasha. "This is Inuyasha, the _second_ son of the old Inu no Taisho of these Western Lands."

The eyes of all three kitsune widened. _What the hell? _He glanced at Hanae, but her serene expression gave him no clues.

"Inuyasha. Yes, of course." The third weirdo broke into a tense smile, and bowed. "Let me escort you two to the portal, immediately." Wordlessly he shoved the first two to either side, out of the way, and gestured politely for Hanae and Inuyasha to follow him. Inuyasha loaded Hanae on his back again and stepped quickly after the kitsune into the dim precincts of the shrine.

He felt the pressure of the holy aura intensify for a moment, and then vanish. Hanae tightened her grip on his arm briefly, and when he looked up at her, she gave him a sly smile and a wink.

The kitsune lead the way up a number of steps through a twisting vermilion tunnel of torii. They passed a large number of other agitated kitsune gathered at various small side shrines, some peering at them curiously as they passed. This place was stirred up like an anthill, he thought.

"I was wondering, Datesha-san, why my team didn't receive any assistance earlier this evening," Hanae remarked softly. "I believe a message should have been sent to warn you all that there could be trouble?"

"Er," the kitsune stuttered, slowing his steps. "We did get a call. There were some difficulties—"

"Keep going, you. We're in a hurry here," Inuyasha snapped.

The kitsune started, and sped up immediately. "The message was delayed until we could ascertain that it was official, and not some young fool's idea of a prank." He had the audacity to glare back over his shoulder at Hanae. "Your choice of messenger was unfortunate."

"Yasei serves Inari-sama the same as you," Hanae breathed. "How _dare_ you question a message of such importance? _How many died because of your incompetence?_" she snarled.

Datesha stopped to face them, his face flushed with embarrassment and rage. "Who do you think you are, speaking so to a scion of Fushimi?" he growled "Just because you—"

"Hey. Asshole!" Inuyasha grabbed the front of the fop's robe and jerked him forward. "_Get. Going_," he hissed through bared teeth. "_Now_." Datesha's face paled and he shrank back defensively, snarling, and Inuyasha shoved him forward.

The kitsune stumbled, but regained his footing immediately. He stood still for a brief moment, fists clenched. Then he turned back to the upwards climb, and muttered "This way." He avoided eye contact with either of them, his face white and stiff.

They continued up and up the steps, until he made a sharp turn into a side shrine, framed in tall spikes of bamboo and humid with the moisture rising from a tiny brook that flowed parallel to the main path. A doorway led into a small building that leaned against the earth of the slope. They entered the dim room, lit by a pair of candles, and stopped. Inuyasha let Hanae down again at her indication, and watched as Datesha jerked his hands in complicated figures at a side wall. Hanae also watched, tilting her brows in an amused expression.

The wall gaped open with another of those kitsune doorways, into an antechamber of some kind. The wood of the floor glowed in the lamplight with the rich patina of years of polishing; panels painted with scenes of men and foxes in Heian dress lined the walls. It smelled...old. This place had been established a very long time ago.

They followed Datesha through a series of rooms, encountering no one, though the place reeked of fox.

"Where the hell is everyone?" Inuyasha wondered aloud. "They all outside? Place should be crawling."

Datesha frowned. "Those you saw outside are mostly without fighting experience. There are others arming up. It's been awhile since anyone had to deal with a rogue of such power."

"I notice none of you did deal with it," Hanae drawled idly, her voice bitter. "My team had counted on your help." Inuyasha snorted, and she inclined her head to him. "It would have gone a lot worse had Inuyasha not come with us. Still, the rogue might have been stopped _here _if we had greater numbers against her, and Jurou might not have been killed."

Datesha flinched. "My condolences," he said softly. "We are mobilizing a force to support you in the eastern capital, and it should be ready soon."

Inuyasha looked around grimly at the empty halls. "You don't say."

The kitsune flushed. "Yes. They will follow you shortly," he said firmly. "We are not cowards, I assure you. We merely have been fortunate enough to have had only peace for many years, and be unused to emergencies." He strode quickly into yet another room, this one's walls decorated with scenes of armies riding across a vast plain, mountains in the background. He halted in the middle of the room. "Which portal, Hanae-san? Back to Tokozawa?"

"Do you have one closer to the Higurashi Shrine?" she asked, her eyes flicking from wall to wall. Her gaze slid briefly to Inuyasha, who was nearly twitching with impatience.

Datesha's brow wrinkled in thought. "The Higurashi Shrine...no, not to my knowledge. Tokozawa is probably the closest."

"Home it is, then," she said briskly, and flipped a hand at one wall. Abruptly it opened to a cozy room, seemingly underground. In the room, an adolescent kitsune sitting with a lap desk looked up in surprise. Inuyasha relaxed minutely—it smelled like that other fox den, a vast relief. The background scents were the familiar ones of Tokyo, yes!

"Let's go!" He grabbed Hanae and darted forward.

Glancing back over her shoulder, she said "Thanks for the help, cousin," her tone ironic. "I'll tell Ogin-sama to expect you. Personally."

They were across and in the little room; Inuyasha turned around in time to see Datesha give them a nervous grimace. The kitsune bowed, and the doorway vanished.

In this room, the young kitsune who had been sitting had gotten up and was exclaiming over Hanae's injuries. She still smelled of fresh blood; no doubt all the moving around had kept her wounds open.

"No time," she said. "Osamu-chan, please see Inuyasha here out of the den, the western exit. Hurry." She turned to Inuyasha, her face determined. "We'll join you as soon as we can."

He followed the younger kitsune as it sped through the close, mazelike halls of the den. Shortly they came to the familiar doorway, and then he was out. He breathed deeply of the choking Tokyo air as he sprang forward, for home, for Kagome.

He was sweating with anxiety and exertion as tore across the rooftops, faster than he'd ever tried before, coming into sight of the shrine in minutes. It was still intact, at least. He cleared the steps in one leap, landing in the courtyard. It smelled of blood. Soen's blood. But it was empty. Her scent mixed with Kagome's and Shippou's, all quite recent...where had they gone? The house? The scents went everywhere.

He darted for the house, only to bounce off a barrier. "What the hell?" he snarled. "HEY!" he yelled. "It's me! Open up, dammit!"

Inside, he heard an exclamation and quick steps. Mama slid the door open and peeked outside, and stared at him in surprise. The old man appeared at her shoulder, frowning.

"Inuyasha, dear, what's the matter? Did you forget something?" she questioned.

"What's the meaning of standing out here and shouting, anyway?" grumbled Jii-chan. "I'm not that hard of hearing."

"I can't get in, there's a barrier," Inuyasha said, bouncing with impatience. "Where the hell's _Kagome_? Is she in there?"

Mama looked suddenly frightened. " She left with _you,_" she said, her voice thin and uncertain. "Didn't she?"

His eyes widened. "_Shit_!"

He spun away, back to the courtyard. His heart pounded as he desperately tried to reconstruct the scent traces. There was Soen's blood trail, yes—Kagome had done _something _very right. He grinned bleakly. She hadn't been fooled. Soen's blood scent lead off to the south. Kagome and Shippou had stood _here_. The scents criss-crossed, old and new, but the freshest lead off to the stairs. South.

They were following the beast.

A breath of wind reached him as he stood at the top of the steps, and he jerked upright. The smell of blood, lots of it. Human blood. South of here, in line with both Soen _and_ Kagome's scents.

He ripped out a curse and ran after them. He ignored the anxious calls from the house in his wake.

TBC

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A/N: Thanks again to SoutasSister for the insightful suggestions and advice! It's a better chapter for it. Any remaining mistakes are my own. We're getting into the final stretch here, so stay tuned!

_Glossary:_

_Ri:_ traditional unit of measurement in Japan. Equivalent to approximately 4 kilometers or 2.4 miles.

_Torii_: gate commonly marking the entrance to a Shinto shrine, consisting of two upright supports and two crossbars at the top; frequently painted vermilion (red).


	23. Chapter 23

Disclaimer: Inuyasha and associated characters are the property of Rumiko Takahashi.

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**Chapter 23**

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Kagome stood in the now-empty, dim courtyard, gripping the rifle in her trembling hands. There was no sign of Soen but the blood marring the white gravel near her feet; the youkai had vanished. Kagome strained to listen, but it was difficult to hear anything over the pounding of her heart and her agitated breathing. Somewhere in the distance a dog barked. Her breathing gradually steadied, and soon she was able to discern the soft background susurrus of traffic noise common to large cities, even at this time of night. After a moment, she heard in the distance the faint rumble of thunder.

No sound of her, and no sign of Soen's malignant aura anywhere in the immediate area, either; the only youkai around was the small kitsune pressed against her leg. She glanced down to see Shippou staring at the blood on the ground. She dropped to her heels, setting the gun down, and hugged him tight. "Are you all right?" she asked.

"I don't know," he mumbled into her hair. "I don't-- I thought she was my friend, Kagome."

She drew back to look into his troubled face. "She still cares about you," she said. "You seem to be the only person in the whole world that she feels any kind of connection to any more."

Shippou shook his head. "Then why wouldn't she listen to me? Why do all this?" His glance took in both the courtyard and the wide metropolis beyond. His face was drawn and tired, his green eyes enormous and glassy as his gaze lingered on the lights of the city.

"Shippou-chan," she said softly, "you need some rest. It's been a really long day for you, hasn't it? How about we go inside and I get you settled in a nice comfy bed, huh?" Kagome levered herself upright, endeavoring to take him with her, but Shippou pushed off and planted himself stubbornly.

"You're going after her, aren't you?" he demanded. "You won't get rid of me that easy, Kagome. There's no way I'll let you go off alone." His tail twitched in agitation, and she sighed.

"Are you sure you won't stay here and protect the house, in case she comes back?"

Shippou frowned in indecision. "No. I think she's gone. She won't stop now until she gets to the Emperor."

_That might be_, she thought, and bit her lip as she glanced at her home. _But what if she __**does**__ come back?_ Kagome was desperately tired, dirty and bruised; her head pounded from her recent, unaccustomed efforts, and she was still holding the barrier on the house, a palpable drain on her strength. There was no way she'd be able to maintain the shield like this for any length of time, but there _were_ ways to set a barrier and walk away. She felt for the ofuda in her pocket that Jii-chan had given her earlier in the day—an eternity ago—and fingered them uncertainly. She'd seen Miroku use ofuda for this purpose, but Kaede had taught her a method, one that echoed a ghostly memory of Kikyou's. She nodded to herself and walked over to the nearest of the sakaki bushes that ringed the courtyard, and broke off a twig with several leaves.

Kagome turned back to the house and walked to the edge of where her barrier was now, and listened. All was quiet inside, as she'd hoped and prayed; none of the chaos out here had penetrated the shield. She stuck the small branch into the dirt just inside the barrier and concentrated, focusing on the sakaki as the anchor point of the barrier. Her fingers tingled with power as she dug the stem into the soil, and when she lifted her hand, the twig gave off a faint gleam. She leaned back and saw with satisfaction that the barrier held strongly, and the receding strain let her breathe a sigh of relief.

Shippou had been watching, his eyebrows raised in surprise and approval. "Did Kaede show you how to do that?"

"Yes." She decided not to mention Kikyou at this point. "Now, which way do you think Soen's gone? She doesn't seem to be anywhere close." _How can she have disappeared so quickly, so completely?_

Shippou sniffed, and wandered a few steps towards the stairs. "She went off that way," he said, pointing down the steps, and incidentally towards the view of greater Tokyo to the south. He looked back at her, solemn now. "She's left a blood trail. I'm not Inuyasha, but even I could follow that." He glanced dubiously back at the vast city in front of them. "At least I think I can, this place smells strange. Do you know which direction the Emperor's palace is?" His expression grew bleak. "She'll find out pretty soon."

Kagome retrieved the rifle from the ground where she'd left it, slinging the strap over her shoulder. "It's southeast of here, but it's pretty far away, Shippou-chan. We'll catch up to her." Shippou nodded and started for the stairs. As she began to follow, the gun bumped gently against her back, and she muttered imprecations under her breath. "Wait, I can't walk around like this. Hold on."

She brought it around to look at it, hastily putting the safety back on. It seemed fine; how many shots were left? The clip only held four bullets, and she had used two. She fumbled in the ammunition bag, got another clip and replaced it; it clicked into place easily enough, and she surveyed her work.

Okay, that looked fine. Now how would she carry it? Walk around the street with a World War II-era rifle? She didn't think so. Guns were illegal in Japan—she didn't even know how Jii-chan had gotten the ammunition for it. Some conspiracy of his old cronies, no doubt.

Glancing around, her eyes lighted on the clothes line—Mama had some sheets out; they flapped in a rising breeze that smelled like rain. With a mumbled apology Kagome took one, wrapping the gun loosely enough that she could get the sheet off easily to fire it. It looked like a gun wrapped in a sheet, but at least it wasn't as obvious.

Shippou stood balanced on the edge of the top step, and looked up as she approached with the bundled up gun slung over her shoulder, his expression anxious. "Kagome...you hear that?"

She listened. The dog she had heard earlier was now barking continuously, hysterically. And then faintly, they heard a yelp; after that, silence.

Shippou gulped. "Soen hates dogs," he whispered. "You think...?"

"Let's go." Without another word she clattered down the steps, trying to orient herself towards where that dog had been barking.

The streets were mostly empty, and she took off running, Shippou running gamely at her side. Again, she tried to find a lead to Soen through the older kitsune's aura, and this time she felt the tug of a vague connection. There was a trail of some kind. Up ahead she could detect...something...of Soen's, something on the ground. She stopped, puffing, to examine it, and Shippou nearly piled into her. It was a smear that appeared dark and shiny in the glow of the street light.

"Is that blood?" Kagome asked, her skin prickling.

Shippou didn't even have to sniff. "Yeah, it's hers. I can follow this, Kagome, come on." He took off with assurance, and she followed.

The blood trail led through a quiet residential area, and Shippou shortly found the scattered remains of a dog in an otherwise unremarkable yard. Its head and neck were still chained. Kagome gulped and looked away.

"The poor thing," she murmured. The door to the house gaped open, and there was no sign of live residents. Just a random house...there didn't seem to be anything else that might have interested the kitsune here. "Shippou...would she have made a detour just to kill a dog?"

The kit hunched his shoulders. "Probably. Let's go, Kagome." Silently, they hurried on, following the dual trails of scent and youki.

Unfortunately, as their surroundings changed from residential to urban, both trails gradually evaporated, lost in the fumes and press of traffic. They finally ended up at a corner where two busy streets intersected, unable to tell which direction to turn. Kagome stood still, desperately casting about for some sense of the youkai's whereabouts. Up that way, maybe...?

"Kagome," wheezed Shippou.

"What?" she said distractedly. "I'm trying, Shippou--"

"I think I smell something over there," he said softly. She turned at that, and he motioned towards the dark entrance of an alley off to their left; the street light in front of it was broken, and glass fragments glittered on the sidewalk. She trudged over with him, her heart sinking.

The man was lying face down in the dirt behind some trash cans, his neck at an unnatural angle, and blood had pooled under him where the big vein in his throat had been torn out. Kagome gasped.

"Pretty clean kill, for her," Shippou noted, his voice flat. "Normally there's a lot more blood spread around." He coughed.

"Quick--" she moved away before anyone might see them. "We've got to find her and stop her before she kills any more," Kagome said, clenching her fist in the folds of the sheet. "I think her youki goes that way. Come on." She spared a thought for the nameless man lying there, and silently offered an apology. _When this is over, I'll make sure you're found._

They hurried through garishly lit streets, slowing to look, listen, and take breathers every so often, but the city was unrevealing. How far had Soen gotten ahead of them? They were in Shinjuku now, getting close to the shopping and entertainment district. Traffic was heavier, there were plenty of people out on the streets, and the two of them were garnering some curious stares, and even some pitying looks, mostly directly at Shippou. The kit stuck close to her, and occasionally coughed like a sickly toddler. Kagome mostly tried to ignore the attention, and focus. _Where is Soen?_

"Hey, Kagome. Can we, uh, stop for a minute? I need to catch my breath..."

She glanced down at the plaintive question; Shippou did not look too good. He had halted behind her, eyes flicking from the flashing lights above, to the cars zooming past, to the people passing by laughing with each other or talking on cellphones or simply hurrying on their own errands, and he seemed to be going into a glazed sensory overload. He coughed again, a hacking wheeze.

"Shippou-chan..." She reached down and picked him up, and he clung to her.

"There's so much smoke and stuff," he mumbled, and lay his head against her shoulder, hiding his face in her hair. "I can't smell anything anymore. I'm sorry, Kagome."

"It's all right." She stood indecisively as people flowed around them, and felt helpless. _Where do we go from here? _They seemed to have completely lost the trail. Should she simply keep heading for the Imperial Palace? The distance by foot was daunting, even if she wasn't carrying a heavy gun and a heavier Shippou. Maybe she could get a cab?

She let her feet carry her in the right direction as she kept her eyes and ears open. If she got past the entertainment district and still couldn't pick up any trace in the relatively quieter areas, she'd hail a cab. A car might still disturb Shippou, but not nearly as much as the rattle and crowds on a train. She hadn't gotten to the end of the block before she felt a pulse of youki, shivering down the tenuous connection she had felt. She froze, and the pulse was followed by a sickening wave of jyaki. People stopped and staggered as the effects hit them; some fell or sat, some began vomiting. All of them looked frightened. A few began wailing about gas attacks.

Shippou lifted his head. "Miasma." His face was drawn and scared. "And...I smell a lot of blood."

"Which way?" she asked urgently.

"Keep going. Straight ahead," he said. He swiveled his head, trying to catch some sound to go with the scent. "Put me down, I'm okay."

"Whatever you do, don't run into the street, all right? The drivers of the cars won't see you." She motioned at the vehicles crawling by, and he nodded distractedly. She set him down, and he hurried forward--she had to quicken her steps to keep up.

Despite her warning, the kit ran into the street a couple of times, but managed to stop short before actually running into the path of any cars—most of them had come to a stop anyway, hopelessly gridlocked. He seemed impatient, almost-single-minded in his pursuit. Dodging wobbling pedestrians, they ran a few blocks before Kagome started to hear screaming up ahead. And another minute before they came across the first few bodies.

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Inuyasha had no trouble following Soen's scent—her blood was rank and easily distinguishable from the rest of the evil smells of Tokyo, so he could maintain a fairly high rate of speed. What worried him was that Kagome and Shippou seemed to be hot on her trail..._dammit_. How could they be so _stupid_ as to go after a monster like that by themselves?

Following their scents, he passed the yard of the butchered dog, grimly noting that the two people it had tried to guard were dead inside the house. The heavy scent of some massive human slaughter had not abated, but he cast a worried eye overhead—it looked like rain was coming. He _had _to find Kagome before it broke and washed away her scent trail. The smell of that much blood wouldn't wash away as easily. His only comfort was that the blood was definitely not hers or Shippou's.

He soon found himself in a noisy, busy area, and here the scents diverged. On the one hand he was glad that there was some distance between them and the demon; on the other hand Kagome and Shippou were a little more difficult to track. He trotted along their trail, head lowered as he tried to isolate their scents among the flood of humanity, and ignored the slowing steps and long stares of passersby.

His head came up as he parsed out the sound of sirens and distant cries from the cacophony around him, and ran full tilt. _Please be safe--_

The wind shifted, bringing a few fat drops of rain and suddenly, the scent of Kagome and Shippou, aligned with the blood smell and the smell of jyaki. He cursed and ran faster, nimbly darting around cars as if they were standing still. He was starting to see people stumbling in several directions, all seemingly away from something, and ahead he could see the flashing lights that heralded the presence of the city guards and medics. Where the _hell_ was Kagome? Her scent was rapidly getting lost in the sea of humans ahead, alive and dead. The buildings were taller here, but he was still able to leap up for a vantage point on top of one not so high.

The scene ahead was ghastly. Scores of people lay dead in a trail stretching into the distance, and there was so much blood that it was slowly draining into the sewer grates. Here and there some seemed to be still alive and were being attended by unsteady bystanders and medics, but for the most part a confused, hysterical crowd milled on the sidelines, unable to look away from the massacre. Cars lay toppled on their sides and shoved onto the sidewalk, adding to the chaos. City guards wearing odd masks were trying to herd people away from the bodies and wreckage, but even they looked scared and shaken.

Inuyasha couldn't see Kagome, but he could smell her and Shippou, somewhere ahead. He traveled slowly along the lower rooftops, and and when the buildings got too tall he used the projecting facades of the shops below, all the while peering down anxiously, trying to spot her or the kit. The rain had increased to a drizzle, and with a curse he jumped down to a clear spot at street level, trying to catch firm hold of the track before it washed away. _There--_ they were still on Soen's trail! They were close, somewhere in this crowd, but he couldn't see her--

"KAGOME!_"_ he roared in frustration. _"Where the hell are you?"_

"_Inuyasha?"_ Her voice was faint, and somewhere ahead.

He leaped forward, his heart rising. Yes, there was their scent, and there were their pale faces, lifting and brightening as they caught sight of him, crying out his name--

And then he had Kagome in his arms, and Shippou was in there too, and they were _safe,_ both safe. The rain had begun in earnest and they were getting soaked, but he didn't care, because he had found them. He held them tightly, allowing himself the comfort of burying his nose in Kagome's hair, her scent. She was gripping him back just as tightly, but she was saying something...

"--got to find her, Inuyasha," Kagome said into his shoulder, her voice muffled. "Look at what she's done--"

Reluctantly he pulled away and held her at arm's length. "What the HELL did you two think you were doing, following that piece of shit youkai?" he asked angrily. "She could have fucking killed you, and you're _following_ her?"

"You weren't here! We had to do something!" Shippou yelled over Kagome's shoulder, from where he was clinging to her back. She winced from the noise right at her ear.

"What the hell do you think you're gonna be able to do against something like _that_?" Inuyasha growled, waving at the dead bodies lying in the street. "You should have sat tight and waited for me!"

"We didn't know where you were, or if you were coming back! You just up and left, you moron!"

He was drawing angry breath to dispute the kit, but Kagome grabbed the front of his haori, her face serious and determined. "Inuyasha. We can't waste any time. She's headed in a straight line for the Emperor's Palace, and we _have_ to stop her."

Inuyasha stared down at her, and set his jaw. She was right. This was a damned mess, and he'd have to shut down that bitch _now_, before she did even more damage. This was _his_ fucking city, and he wasn't having it.

"Let's do it." He nodded at them. "Come on." He turned so that Kagome could climb onto his back, which she did, trying to hold on to him, the kit, and the odd metallic-smelling bundle over her shoulder. He recognized it right away.

"What are you doing with _that_ thing?" he asked, getting her settled.

"The gun?" she asked, juggling it so awkwardly that it slipped off her shoulder; he took it from her to hold more securely. "Jii-chan gave it to me, since my last bow got broken over at Michiko's house."

Inuyasha snorted. "Lot of good it will do." He jumped up to the nearest balcony and took off from there.

"It did do some, actually," she said, with some dark amusement. "I don't think Soen liked it much."

He twisted his head around to stare at her incredulously. "This thing did all that damage? She left a blood trail for miles!"

"Kagome shot Soen right in the face, and it was just like she had shot a holy arrow," Shippou said, sounding subdued. "How strong is she, if that didn't kill her?"

"I'd say she's pretty damn strong, all right." Tersely, Inuyasha described the fight and the damage in Kyoto, and how he'd had to find an alternate kitsune doorway to get back to Tokyo. Below them, the trail of bodies and wrecks had ended, but the smell of blood , not yet washed out by the rain, led him forward, towards brighter lights, taller and taller buildings, and the smell of the ocean. But before the ocean, up ahead, he could smell a large green space, vaguely reminiscent of their encounter in Kyoto earlier in the evening.

Springboarding off the slick, rain-wet roof of a lower building, he leaped up to catch hold of some sort of framework of brightly illuminated letters affixed to the side of one tall building; it provided an excellent vantage point. Perched high above the street, the three of them looked down across the green space he had scented. A moat meandered around a complex of gardens and old buildings, illuminated by lamps softer than the harsh glare of the streetlights. He frowned. There was something familiar about the layout...had he been here before?

"That the Palace?"

"Yes, the castle over there," Kagome confirmed. She swiped wet hair out of her eyes, and peered worriedly over his shoulder.

"You call that a castle?" he snorted.

"Well, it's not the original castle," Kagome conceded. "That burned down a long time ago. It would have been the one on the other side of the well—Edo Castle."

"Oh, yeah." The memory rose, faded and vague as a dream. He had spent some time roaming this area, looking for the guardian of the Shikon Jewel...that's when he'd seen it. "Some vassal of the Hojo held the fort. There was a dinky little village here too, smelled like rotten fish."

"Tokyo's proud origins." Kagome grinned. She shivered a bit; the rain had slacked off some, but it was windy at this height.

"Hey. Are those guys the Emperor's guard?" Shippou pointed, frowning.

Inuyasha squinted down. There were indeed a large number of figures moving stealthily in the gardens, from this distance looking like ants crawling about. Most of them seemed to be soldiers, similar in dress to the men he saw in Kyoto, and bearing guns like them. But he was startled to see, bunched up near the edges of the imperial property, monks, priests, and some other oddly-dressed men. What were they doing?

"Who are those guys?" he murmured to Kagome, not taking his eyes off the scene below. A mist was rising down there, and he cursed it for obscuring his line of sight.

"I'm not sure," she frowned. "Whoever they are, it looks like they're setting up a barrier. I don't--" Kagome suddenly gasped. "Inuyasha--I can feel Soen. She's somewhere close by. Really close." She clutched his shoulders as she huddled against him, reaching for the strap of the gun. "The rifle--"

He handed it to her without looking, felt her grab and unwrap it from its swaddling. Tensely, he eased backwards until he had the wall of the building safely at their backs, all the while listening as hard as he could, and scanning the surroundings. He couldn't smell Soen, but he didn't doubt Kagome for a second. He couldn't see much now through the bright framework of letters, but that stupid blinding mist was rising fast anyway, shreds of it rising from below to shield the palace grounds from view.

Wait. Mist? In this wind?

An isolated wisp of it tumbled in lazy figures, moving closer to them. Against the wind. He growled and yanked Tessaiga out of its sheath, holding it at ready.

A low chuckle. The mist darkened to black smoke, and resolved into a cloud vaguely resembling a black fox; against the night sky, only one foxfire-green eye was distinct. It was narrowed in hatred as she stared at them.

"You should have remained in Kyoto, dog," her voice hissed wetly. "You're going to die here."

"Fuck off, bitch, before I give you what you deserve," he snarled. Power swirled around Tessaiga, but he didn't let it loose; he still couldn't smell Soen, couldn't tell if he would really be swinging at her or an illusion.

She laughed, a coughing, bitter sound. "Oh yes. Everyone will be getting what they deserve, before the night is through." She focused past him, to Shippou, clinging to Kagome's shoulder. "Shippou. I continue to be disappointed by you. You had so much promise, promise wasted by your choice of companionship. Out of every soul here, you are the only one who might not deserve what's coming."

"And what is coming, Soen?" Kagome said carefully. Inuyasha could feel her doing something with the gun behind his back.

"The fulfillment of my duty," the youkai hissed. "At last."

The fox-cloud suddenly uncoiled and expanded, and Inuyasha felt a massive pulse of youki as it did. Kagome gasped, but leaned forward over his shoulder, pointed the rifle at its head, and fired.

It was unbelievably loud. He flattened his ears in pain, but through watering eyes watched the bullet blaze through the cloud, dissolving it instantly.

But before any of them could blink, they were surrounded by mocking laughter. "I won't fall for the same trick twice, miko. How do you think I've lived long enough to see to my duty?" The cloud reformed, grinning maliciously at them. "I expect I'll be dead soon, but not before I take all of you vermin with me."

_Dammit! Where the fuck is she?_ Inuyasha fumed. While she was playing with them up here, what was happening on the ground? He darted a glance to the palace grounds, and saw that the monks and priests had lined up into a defensive position. Odd lights crackled just beyond their perimeter.

"But first, this place, this _Tokyo_, is all wrong. I will set it right before I get to work." His gaze shot back to the fox-form, to see it look away, eye narrowing. The form began to slowly spin and dissolve, the wisps of smoke rising and spreading overhead. Abruptly the lights began to go out, beginning with the letters of the sign they clung to, and then a swift wave of darkness radiated out, away from them, across the face of the city.

Then the building disappeared.

One moment he was standing on the framework of the sign, the next, it was gone, and they were falling. Startled, he waved his arms where the supports had been, scrabbling for a hold, but there was nothing to grab. Kagome shrieked and Shippou yelled as they began to drop to the street far below.

Street? He angled his body for the landing as they fell, but below them, he saw not the hard black-topped street surface of Tokyo, but a rutted dirt road, lined on both sides by wooden houses. Here and there a torch provided a circle of light.

"Goodbye, Shippou," a voice whispered in the wind of their descent. "If these are your friends, share their fate."

TBC

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A/N: I am so, so sorry about the long wait, you all. I hope you like this installment, and I will do my best to speed up production on the remainder of the story. Circumstances may be kinder to the writing process than they have been so far this year.

Speaking of the writing process, I would like to extend heartfelt thanks to m0u5e for the awesome beta work! The suggestions, advice and commentary definitely improved this chapter, especially the first half that I'd been staring at for too long. Round of applause, please!


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